My Life as a Bowl of Noodles
by AvatarNerds4Life
Summary: Kala of the Northern Water Tribe runs away and meets Yuki the airbender at a circus. Together they travel to Republic City and find themselves involved with an interesting gang. This story is about their adventures around the city. Sorry for the random and derpy title. The Boulder approves of this fan fic :D
1. New Beginnings

**This is what we do during our summer vacation, we write random fan fics :D**

**(And we know while reading the summary, you read the part about The Boulder in his voice)  
**

**We hope you enjoy the story!  
**

* * *

Slow spinning lights and soft voices filled the air; giving the night a sense of mirth and frivolousness. Tarps rustled quietly in the wind and sugary sweets glistened lazily on their stands. Snack foods crackled and spat in their oil, and their vendors yelled at passersby. One man with outrageous eyebrows boasted about his sweet pastries while another plump woman offered brightly colored sweets to the children that passed by her.

Kala's eyes drifted to and fro, looking at the vast assortment of colors and faces. She couldn't even hear herself think over the din of the festival. Everywhere around her was alive with motion and the buzz of excitement. A young pair of children brushed through her legs as she walked, and they continued to dart in and out of the massive crowd. Men and women milled lazily, drinking in the sites as the carnival whirred. A fire eater breathed huge pillars of smoke from his lungs and a puppet show had attracted quite the crowd a few feet away. While walking past a large brightly ornate tent, she could dimly make out the voice of an announcer excitedly speaking to the crowd.

_Come one, Come all! Come see something that will shock and amaze you! Watch her brave dizzying heights and land as light as a feather! Watch whirlwinds dance in front of your eyes as our amazing air bender steals your very breath away!_

Her ears pricked involuntarily and she looked back over her shoulder, giving the tent a second glance.

_Airbender? Did he just say Airbender?_

Kala couldn't resist a look and back-tracked, moving towards the large tent, the giant canvas entrance glittering impressively in the twilight as she approached. With a flourish she pulled back the fabric, gliding gently into the stuffy air of the circus tent. Dozens of onlookers blocked her line of sight and she pushed through them to get a better view. Spotlights shone down, eclipsing the center ring in a golden light. She followed the gaze of the crowd upwards until she caught sight of the girl high above them.

Her beautiful gown waved lazily in the night air, and it billowed around her as she twirled on her heels working the crowd with a dazzling smile. From here she looked to be about Kala's age, around seventeen years old, and she could tell from her youthful features and slender frame. She strode confidently across the thin tightrope barely chancing a glance downward as her bare feet moved expertly across the wire. Bright blue tattoos were apparent on her bare legs, and Kala's eyebrows rose as she recognized the pointed arrows.

A man whistled and almost on cue she dropped. The crowd gasped as one as she plummeted downwards but as they watched the girl dipped and curved. She spun, not once, but three times in the air before thrusting her hands out in front of her. Great streams of air whirled around the tent, making an audible reverberation in the air, and she was propelled upwards by the gale. She spun in the air landing lightly back atop the wire where she had started. Her ponytail bounced as she bowed to the cheering crowd.

There was no doubt about it, that girl was an air bender.

_Let's give another round of applause to the fabulous, the gorgeous, the spectacular __Yuki!_  
The announcer yelled as the crowd screamed for more. The girl, Yuki, beamed as the crowd buzzed and twirled around on her heels. Her dress flowed with her and billowed around her as she leapt into the air, arms dancing as she pulled the air currents beneath her and flew across the tent. She alighted from one perch to the next, the air propelled to and fro as she danced above their heads. Her dexterity was amazing as she flipped and pirouetted across the great expanses.

Kala couldn't help but feel admiration towards the girl as she continued her act. Her physical prowess was impressive and no one could deny her obvious talent as an air bender.

_Now that's someone I would love to hang out with. _Kala thought as the show rose into a finale. Great gales made the fabric of the tent billow and expand around the screaming audience and Yuki spun, one daring feat after the other.

The announcer hadn't lied: her breath had been taken right out from under her.

* * *

"Fabulous! Absolutely fabulous performance, Yuki!" The ringleader's top hat bobbed up and down as he clapped excitedly. Yuki flushed, her shy smile spreading across her lips as she was praised.

"Thank you so much." She said dipping her frame into a low bow before him. He waved her gesture away with his hand and gripped her by the shoulders.

"I talked to a man tonight who came all the way from Ba Sing Se to see us! Ba Sing Se! All because he heard of our, and I quote, 'extraordinary Airbender performance'! You my dear, are taking us places!" He was practically bubbling as he leaned in to kiss her forehead roughly. Yuki reddened drawing away from him as he beamed.

"Oh please don't say that. I'm just a side act! Our traveling family has so much more talent than just me! There are a lot of reasons people come to see us."

"Your modesty is charming, but you do know you're allowed to take some credit once in awhile?" He grinned moving away from her vanity to peer around her quarters. He rifled through a fruit basket that had her name printed on it in gold lettering, and hungrily munched on an apple as he flopped down on her bed.

"I've decided, for our next string of shows I'm putting your act in the main tent. You'll be our headliner!" He sneered in delight, apple juice dribbling down his facial hair as he ate ravenously. Yuki gripped her dress tightly between her fingers, a sinking feeling pressing in on her gut as she looked at him.

"But I thought we said I could take a break after this last show?" She looked at him, eyes wide feeling her heart being stung as he rolled his eyes. He sat up looking at her seriously and she involuntarily lowered her eyes.

"Why must you always do this, Yuki? Are you ungrateful after all I've done for you? After I generously took in, not just you, but your sister as well?" He begun to pace as he glared at her.

"O-Of course not," She stammered continuing to look at her feet, "It's just I've never been able to do anything that I-"

She was cut off mid sentence as he spun on his heels to look at her. He closed the distance between them and loomed over her; she flinched visibly as though she had been struck.

"You've never been allowed to what? Do what you want? What kind of spoiled attitude is that? Perhaps the reason I don't give you whatever whimsical motion glides into your empty head is because you wouldn't be able to handle it, Yuki. You are an incredibly naïve child, don't you forget that. The world is much darker outside this circus, you'd be eaten alive."

Yuki gulped, hanging her head as he continued.

"Hey!" A strong female voice resounded around the tent abruptly, causing the Circus Master to stop mid-sentence and Yuki's head to bob up in surprise.

"Back off, that's my sister you're yelling at." Yuriko practically growled, golden eyes smoldering under her beautiful features. She stood in the doorway, one hand holding open the fabric of the tent and the other pointed accusingly at the Ring Master.

Her amber brown hair fell messily all around her shoulders and framed her face; it partially concealed her pale skin like the foliage of the jungle would with the face of a crouching tiger. Her height was impressive, but her frame was delicate and elegant like Yuki's. But where Yuki's body concealed dexterity and grace, Yuriko's contained a certain unspoken power and strength. Her eyes were wild and everything about her was tainted with a certain deadly beauty. Yuriko would always be a rose; eye-numbingly beautiful but not without her thorns.

She moved past the stunned Ring Master briskly while he straightened and glared at her. The dangling hem of her dress swished loudly against the ground as she crossed over to Yuki. With a spin she had turned back around to face him, sitting delicately on Yuki's vanity beside her.

Yuki stared up at her older sister with wide, glistening eyes and Yuriko chanced a sideways glance at her. Her eyes softened and the edges of her pale lips turned upwards ever so slightly. With a gentle motion Yuriko held her sister's quivering hand and then turned back on the Ring Master, who had now composed himself and was staring at Yuriko evenly with arms crossed across his chest.

"As I was saying…" He continued, clearly keeping his anger in check, "I will not allow Yuki to simply walk out on this Circus to pursue whatever stupid idea she has thought of this time."

"The only stupid idea here is the notion you seem to have that you can keep us under your thumb for however long you like." Yuriko retorted sharply.

"You two are not my prisoners; you're my employees!"

"Then why does it feel like a jail?"

"Well I am starting to think putting bars on your windows might be a necessary precaution!" He screamed cheeks red and distended as his face contorted with rage. Yuriko raised an eyebrow and Yuki shook. He sighed loudly pressing his hand hard into his forehead. The girls waited silently as his tried to tame his anger.

"I would like to think I have been quite reasonable up until now, girls." He started again, speaking slowly and carefully. "I've listened to your complaints, haven't I? I didn't force you to be a part of Yuki's act and I instead allowed you to run the ticket booth, as per your request, didn't I? Yuriko? Even though you are quite the talented Airbender I respected that you didn't like to perform. Didn't I?"

"With some persuasion if you remember." Yuriko said eyes boring into him angrily.

"I digress." He said holding up his hands, "What I mean is…I have done so much for you. Is it that hard to do something for me? Just one more season! That's all I am asking! After that, you are welcome to go wherever you please anytime you want."

He spread out his hands, holding out his offer to them. Yuriko clenched her hands into fists and Yuki could see her gritting her teeth.

"Yes, that's fair." Yuki said quickly before her sister could snap back at him. Yuriko looked at her surprised and the Ring Master smiled with satisfaction.

"See? That wasn't so hard now was it? Thank you, Yuki." He grinned pleasantly, smile dripping with a fake sweetness. Yuki lowered her eyes and felt her heart sinking as he started to leave the tent.

"I'll see you two bright and early tomorrow morning, girls!" and with a flourish he had flung open the tent and had vanished into the night.

Yuki hung her head and closed her eyes, waiting for her sister to reprimand her weakness with baited breath. She scrunched up the hem of her dress in the palms of her hand out of habit and remained still. Yuriko sighed gently and moved away from the vanity, she crouched low to the ground so she could look up at her younger sister's face. Yuki refused to meet her eyes however and Yuriko chuckled, grabbing her face gently, cupping it delicately like someone would a porcelain doll. With a gentle motion she guided Yuki's face upwards so that they were face to face, and her heart caught in her chest. Yuki's big eyes swam with tears and her bottom lip was quivering with the effort to control her emotions; Yuriko couldn't help but pull her younger sister into a tight hug. She squeezed her gently as she felt her body shake with silent quivers.

"I-I'm sorry, Yuriko. I know you said I should be s-strong against him, but I couldn't stand to see him yelling at you like that." Yuki sniffled quietly into her sister's shoulder.

Yuriko pulled away from her, giving her a gentle but firm expression.

"You need to stop worrying about me, and look out for yourself for once. I can handle that old sour face just fine, it's you who needs to get out of here. I know how hard it is here for you, and look at how many times he has promised to let you go! He continues to break his promises to you because you let him walk all over you!"

Yuki sighed and looked down at her hands.

"I know." She sighed quietly. Yuriko smiled and gingerly ruffled Yuki's hair, pulling herself into a standing position.

"Don't worry; I am going to get you out of here. Promise." She extended her pinky to Yuki, who smiled lightly linking her own around it. They shook and smiled at each other, an emotion only sisters would understand passing between them.

"I'm sorry guests aren't allowed beyond this point…For any reason." Yuriko's ears pricked as she heard the irritated male voice a few yards outside her tent.

"I'm not doing anything wrong! I just wanted to see Yuki. Don't you guys let people compliment your performers anymore?" This time it was a female voice, it rang out loudly clearly irritated. Yuki's head bobbed up at the sound of her name and Yuriko's curiosity got the better of her. With a few powerful strides she was at the entrance to the tent and with a flourish she had pulled away the canvas opening and stepped outside. Yuki bounded behind her sister and looked around her timidly to the scene before them.

One of the stagehands, a tall muscular man with a full beard, was barring the way towards their tent from a young woman. She was strikingly beautiful, even in the dim light, with cocoa colored skin and piercing eyes. Her body was adorned with a dark blue parka, common with people hailing from the Northern Water Tribe. Her dark brown hair fell across her face and one side was done up in a neat loop, securely fastened in place with an ivory bead. She held her ground against the stagehand even though she was clearly at a physical disadvantage.

"Hey! What's going on here?" Yuriko's bark, caused the stage hand and girl to both jump simultaneously. He was the first to regain his composure and tipped his top hat low to the both of them, bumbling out a half-hearted apology.

"Sorry miss. I was just escorting her out of the area, I'll be going now." He mumbled gruffly grabbing the water-tribe girl by the shoulders roughly.

"Hey!" She yelled struggling against his massive hands.

"That won't be necessary." Yuriko called shortly, stopping him dead in his tracks.

"What?" He looked at her dumbly.

"Let her go."Yuriko continued icily, "She merely wanted to show her appreciation for my sister's act. The last time I checked there wasn't a law against that now is there? So if you would be so kind, Yuki and I will take care of her from here. It will be hard to try and convince her that we are indeed civilized after the way you treated her."

The stagehand's mouth dropped open and was clearly at a loss for words. The girl seized the opportunity to scamper out of his grip and trot over to Yuki and Yuriko. Yuki smiled at her gently and Yuriko steered her towards the tent, glaring at the stunned stage hand all the while.

"Thank you for standing up for me like that." The girl said thankfully when they were safely inside their quarters.

"Don't mention it. It isn't the first time the management and I haven't seen eye to eye and it certainly won't be the last." Yuriko said, gingerly sitting down on a velvet cushion on the ground. She motioned for Kala to sit down on the bed and Yuki folded herself neatly by her vanity, staring at the girl with her great big amber eyes gently.

"I'm Yuriko by the way." She continued, "And from the sounds of it, you already have seen Yuki before."

"Oh yes! I saw your performance tonight, and it was simply amazing! I've never seen an Air Bender before, and you were simply incredible." The girl gushed smiling at Yuki who blushed profusely. "I'm Kala, by the way."

"You're too kind, Kala." Yuki said timidly smiling at her, "But it means a lot that you would come here to tell me that. So, thank you really."

The two girls grinned shyly, both blushing slightly and Yuriko grinned watching the two.

"You look like you've been on quite the journey." She said eyeing Kala's outfit and bag slung across her shoulders.

"Oh I guess you could say that…" Kala smiled gently, and Yuki sat at the edge of her seat excitedly.

"Oh please! Tell us all about it!" She prompted her sincerely, and Kala couldn't help but begin her tale. The three girls talked far into the night and not one of them seemed to want to stop. Kala had traveled all the way from the Northern Water Tribe by herself and Yuki was fascinated by her tale. She had never heard of something so brave; she couldn't imagine striking out on her own in the Earth Kingdom like Kala was doing.

As Yuki became more and more engrossed with Kala's story, a slow smile spread across Yuriko's cheeks. The two girls were getting along famously and an idea was slowly beginning to develop in Yuriko's clever brain.

"Where are you headed next?" Yuriko finally asked Kala, hoping her hunch was correct.

"Oh, well I plan on going to Republic City." Kala said excitedly. Yuki gasped audibly and was nearly falling out of her chair.

"Republic City?" She cried in delight, "I've always wanted to go there! I heard it's just absolutely gorgeous! I can't believe you are actually going there!"

Kala giggled as Yuki gushed and looked at her gently,

"Well you're welcome to come along if you want! I'd be happy to have you."

Yuki's eyebrows darted up in surprise at the offer and Yuriko grinned. Yuki sat back down softly, looking down at the floor suddenly growing fidgety and nervous.

"I…Thank you…I just don't know…"

"Yuki." Yuriko's voice cut off whatever excuse was forming on Yuki's tongue and she looked at her sister seriously. "You should go."

Yuki looked at her sister surprised, eyes wide with fear.

"But the Ring-Master would never let me!"

"Then don't ask for his permission!" Yuriko said voice full of conviction as she rose to her feet. "That jerk has it coming to him! He'll never let you just leave; this is your only chance to do what you always wanted. A chance like this doesn't come along everyday Yuki. You should go with Kala."

Yuki glanced at Kala, who smiled at her gently, then back at her sister.

"But what about you?"

"Aw, I'll be fine. I can cool the old guy down and keep him off your trail so you two can get out of here. And who knows? Maybe I'll slip out of here in a couple months and join you two." Yuriko smiled gently clasping her sister's hands together tightly. "Please, Yuki. I promised I'd get you out of here…Don't make me a liar."

Yuki's eyes swam, moved by her sister's selfless attitude and she flung her arms tightly around her. She hugged Yuriko closely and whispered in her ear.

"Thank you."

Yuriko smiled, squeezing Yuki gently and Kala smiled trying not to intrude on their moment.

Yuriko straightened and looked down at her sister with eyes full of fire.

"Well come on! You can't just sit there! Go get your bags ready! We have to get you and Kala on the next train to Republic City!"

The two girls grinned broadly from ear to ear; and Yuriko pulled Yuki gingerly to her feet. She moved hastily to her dresser and started to pack her things into a large canvas shoulder bag. Kala helped Yuki prepare and Yuriko ducked her head outside the tent to make sure the coast was clear. They were ready for the journey in barely no time at all and with a fluttering in their stomachs and the wind at their backs they started forth on their new adventure.

* * *

**Introduction of the authors!**

**Momo: The official writer (and fluffer), and creator of Yuki (And Jirou, but he'll come later)  
Has An Addiction To Capitalization. :3  
**

**M&M: Official organizer/technical person, and creator of Kala (Plus Shiro, he'll appear in a few chapters)  
Is mentally dating Sokka  
**

**Fayzee: Official editor (and fangirl), creator of Jemma and Qilaq (they'll come soon)  
Likes to steal Momo's shtuff  
**

**We'll have introductions of our other 2 authors next chapter when they come back from their vacations.  
**

**Please review and tell us what you think of our story! :)  
**


	2. That's How It's Done

Yuki's nails dug into the rough leather of her bag as she waited anxiously on the edge of the platform. Her head was on a constant swivel, making sure she didn't miss anything coming down the iron tracks. She just couldn't contain her excitement as she bounced on tip-toe. Her high ponytail bobbed up and down and her smile bubbled across her face.

"Yuki I know you're excited, but you look like you have to go to the bathroom." Kala's voice reprimanded her gently from behind. "And you should probably back away from the edge of the track; I don't think you want to see the train **that **closely."

Yuki smiled sheepishly, blushing as she quickly shied away from the edge, moving back over to Kala.

"Sorry, Kala! It's just so…exhilarating!" Yuki smiled eyes wide and full of wonder.

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean." Kala replied feeling her own excitement growing as she watched Yuki's childlike awe. She felt the inner lining of her parka for the fiftieth time, making sure that the train tickets hadn't magically disappeared and that there were still two of them. Feeling the two pieces of paper and testing that they were still securely housed in her breast pocket she withdrew her hand and brushed a long strand of hair away from her face. Her cocoa skin looked radiant in the waning light of the afternoon and her dark brown hair cascaded around her face like a waterfall. The white fur around her collar danced in the cool breeze and her stomach buzzed in anticipation.

_I can't believe we are going to Republic City…_

"Kala it's here!" Yuki practically squealed, jumping up with delight as she pointed down the rail line. Kala leaned forward and grinned as she saw the gleam of the metal in the sunlight. Great pillars of smoke rose from the train and it rumbled into the station. Kala watched as Yuki stared up at the great beast of engineering. The train towered over them, casting a huge shadow across the platform, and the giant copper doors slid open with a hiss. Throngs on passengers strolled lazily from the train, passing past the two awestruck girls. Yuki turned to Kala and they both shared a wide grin between them.

"Come on," Kala grinned; grabbing hold of Yuki's hand, "Let's go."

The two stole forward and moved towards the conductor. He was a good head above the rest of the crowd, and strode confidently through the people in full uniform. He barked roughly for an organized line and tickets from the boarding passengers. Kala presented the tickets to him quickly and he nodded them through, mumbling something about a good trip for the two of them. Yuki skipped up the iron steps into the cabin of the train and practically gasped as she looked over the rows of quickly filling seats.

"Ours are down there." Kala gestured to a row a ways down the cabin and followed behind Yuki as she skipped down to their seats. As soon as they got to their seats, Yuki fell into position by the window. She pressed her face to the glass and smiled widely like a child in a candy store. Kala sighed and gestured for Yuki's bag; she took it and stored it in the over head with her own. Her knapsack seemed to shift as she placed Yuki's next to it, and began to undulate as something crawled out from inside it. A white tuft of fur appeared from one of the pockets and Kala smiled as she scooped it up in one hand. She cradled the small animal in her fingers as she sat down and it began to chatter in a high-pitched squeak.

"Of course you can sit with me and Yuki, Miki." The white hamster looked up at Kala as she spoke, its two black eyes staring back at her from its sea of white fur. The white mass looked diligently at its new surroundings and then scurried up Kala's arm. With a great leap, Miki alighted onto Yuki's shoulder and the girl squealed in delight as she burrowed into her hair. She pulled Miki out from her ponytail gently and lifted the small animal up to her face with cupped hands.

"We're in a train, Miki! Isn't it just glorious?" Yuki smiled and the small hamster cocked its head, trying to comprehend what she was talking about. Yuki giggled and kissed the hamster gently on the head; then returned Miki gingerly to Kala. Miki squeaked and quickly crawled to Kala's lap and with a circular motion, curled up to go to sleep. Kala petted the hamster gently and watched Miki's tiny chest rise and fall gently as she began to fall asleep. Miki's breathing slowed, a deep in and then out, as Kala watched the train began to rev up and the noise synchronized. The wheels turned as Miki dreamed and Kala smiled, feeling her eyes getting heavy.

"Kala, look… "Yuki trailed off as she saw her dozing companion. She smiled at Kala, now sleeping soundly, head resting against the back of the seat and her breathing swallow. Yuki shifted quietly in her seat, careful not to make the springs groan, and looked back to the window. The sun had set now and Yuki knew their journey would span the entire night. She didn't feel tired at all, she realized as she crossed her arms over the windowsill. Yuki rested her chin against her arms and watched the scenery breeze by and let her mind wander far away. Her thoughts were filled with images of tall buildings and great sweeping cities the entire ride.

* * *

"Kala! Kala! Please, wake up! You **have **to see this!" Yuki squealed as she shook the sleeping  
Kala. Kala blinked rapidly, trying the clear the foggy haze of sleep from her brain.

"What…what is it?" She mumbled tiredly, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Look!" Yuki exclaimed desperately pointing ecstatically at the window.  
Kala leaned over the excited girl and squinted into the daylight. At first all she could see was the blinding sunlight and she blinked sluggishly, trying to clear her vision. Her eyes slowly began to adjust to being awake and Kala felt herself gasp audibly.

"See?" Yuki just barely whispered next to her.

Great rays of sunlight reverberated off the gleaming surfaces of every structure. The rooftops sparkled in the light of day with a golden hue that made the whole place gleam with an inhuman glow. Republic City stretched for miles, as far as Kala could see, and rose impressively out of seemingly nothing. The ocean sparkled and quivered before it, reflecting its beauty back on to its translucent surface. Kala could taste the spray of the sea even from such a distance and heard the familiar crash of waves on the shore. As the train continued closer to the city, the buildings became more and more impressive. The skyscrapers rose to towering heights and seemed to glow with a thousand windowpanes. The great bridge leading to the main island rose out of the water like a serpent and the giant cables cut up the skyline. Republic City stood proudly nestled between two equally impressive mountains, capped with snow. It glittered like a jewel, and the air around it seemed to sing.

"It's beautiful." Kala breathed, unable to believe her eyes. The train continued onwards as the girls sat awestruck by the wonderful city. It glided into Central Station, just as it was designed too, without pause or delay it came to a halt and the two girls were thrown into the big city.

They alighted gently onto the, much larger, platform and clutched their bags tightly to themselves. Yuki's eyes had grown even wider as she observed the sheer amount of people flowing about the station. The air was filled with conversation and she could barely hear Kala next to her, telling her to follow.

Reflections were cast on the gleaming stone floor of the station and the sound of footsteps rung in their ears. The station itself was massive, with huge vaulted ceilings and impressive steel beams. A sensation of vertigo passed through Yuki as she stared up at the dizzying heights of the rafters, and she quickly looked back down. She fixated on Kala's hand, clasped tightly around her own, as Kala lead her towards the entrance. As they moved through the doors, they were greeted by a grand courtyard, filled with stone steps and shrubbery. Yuki and Kala bounded down the steps, two at a time, glad to be able to stretch their legs after the long journey. They brushed along the cobblestone sidewalk and moved to the center of the open area. Greeting them there was a huge statue made of deep black granite, it loomed several stories above them and the girls had to crane their necks to take in its full splendor.

"Who is it?" Yuki asked quietly breathing in the beauty of the statue. The figure was clad in traditional Fire Nation attire and stood with his arm raised. From the giant fingers of the statue, brilliant flames erupted and illuminated the scarred face of the handsome young man.

"That's one of the founders of Republic City; the former leader of the Fire Nation, Fire-Lord Zuko." Kala said knowingly staring up at the statue as well. "It was his and Avatar Aang's vision that this city would become a beacon of hope and peace for the rest of the nations."

"Wow." Yuki breathed transfixed by the cold gaze of the statue. "I can't believe we're really here."

"I know." Kala grinned looking at Yuki, who smiled back white teeth flashing in the sunlight.

"Come on. Let's see this vision of theirs in person." Kala said, spinning around on her heels feeling more confident than ever. Yuki nodded her agreement and bobbed along behind her as they forged their way into the heart of the unknown.

The city was even more glorious up close. The streets were lined with decorative lampposts and antique stores with glittering windows. Wares of all sorts were on display and the girls could barely make it down the street, seeing as they were pausing to peruse at almost every store. They had wandered straight into what appeared to be the vending district of Republic City. Soon the air was strangled with the sounds of vendors delighted with the thrill of selling their wares. Carts and stalls lined the streets and it became almost impossible to ignore the items housed inside. A sweet smell of pastries drifted lazily from one booth and crackling meat sizzled on a grill in another.

"Hey you pretty things!" A man grinned from behind a counter gesturing at Yuki and Kala. Yuki cocked her head and he laughed, facial hair bobbing up and down. "Yes you! You guys are new to Republic City, am I right?"

"How could you tell?" Kala inquired as they approached his booth timidly. It was filled to the brim with jewelry and small glittering figurines.

"You don't exactly look like city-folk." He grinned, small wrinkles crinkling at the edges of his almond eyes. Even with his older age the man had a certain youthful charm about him, and the girls couldn't help but laugh. It was true what he had said, even they could look down at themselves and see it. Kala's dark blue parka and seal-skin boots seemed very much out of place against the stone pavement of the street. Yuki's large bag dangled by her side and she seemed wide-eyed and innocent compared to the slick looking city-folk.

"Yeah I guess I see your point." Kala sighed and the man chuckled.

"But hey! It doesn't matter to me where you're from. I will gladly sell my jewels to any precious gems, regardless if they are from the city or not." He exclaimed gingerly, brushing his hands expertly over his products. They glanced over the wares politely, the small jewels sparkling in the sunlight. As Kala took a closer look at an opaque ring, she looked quizzically at the price tag. She realized with a sinking feeling that the currency displayed on it was not the same as the Water Tribe coins she had in her wallet.

"Is there a place nearby where I can exchange my money for Yuans? " Kala asked sheepishly looking up at the man who shook his head gently. He leaned down and rummaged behind the counter for a time. He straightened holding a crumpled piece of aging paper. It rustled as he spread it across the counter and they leaned in closer as he traced his finger across the inky outline of Republic City.

"You're here…" He said gently, tapping the spot with his finger, and then traced a route along the riverfront to another district highlighted in red ink. "The Bank and Currency Exchange are here."

"Thank you so much for your kind help." Yuki smiled at the man as Kala studied the map fervently. He sighed and folded the map, with a flourish he pushed it into Kala's hands.

"Oh I couldn't! I-"

He held up his hands to stop her objections and smiled at them kindly.

"I have plenty more, don't worry. What kind of man would I be if I didn't lend my help to two beautiful young ladies, new to Republic City? You just have to promise to come back to buy something once you're settled. We have a deal?"

"Deal." Kala smiled shaking the man's hand with a smile.

He waved them off and they continued their journey down the long line of vendors. Equipped with her new map, Kala gladly led the way through the city. Yuki spun around on her heels as she walked, breathing in the grandeur of the city as they traveled.

* * *

The sun glided lazily across the sky and rose directly above them. The heat beat down atop the city and great waves of heat rolled across the smoldering asphalt. The tops of the buildings quivered in a heat induced mirage and the two girls had long since forgotten how long they had been walking. Kala stripped her parka off quickly and tied it around her waist. Yuki wiped sweat gingerly off the back of her neck and grimaced from her aching feet. She didn't dare voice her discomfort however, seeing the determined look on Kala's face as she continued forward. Instead she looked down quietly and adjusted her bag strap for the hundredth time to relieve the tension on her shoulders.

"It shouldn't be too far now…I think…" Kala called tiredly over her shoulder, scrutinizing the map as she looked at the buildings surrounding them. The tall structures all seemed to look the same, and Kala had the sinking feeling that they had gone down this street before. The last thing she wanted was to be lost when night fell in the city.

"Kala?" Yuki squeaked timidly, derailing Kala's train of thought.

"Yeah?" She replied still looking at the map thoughtfully.

"I think I'm hallucinating…"

"What?" Kala turned around concerned, looking carefully at the red-cheeked Yuki. She appeared to be fine, besides looking a little tired, but no worse for wear; but Yuki was blinking rapidly and looked very concerned with lips quivering against her pale skin. "What are you seeing?"

"I see…trees."

Kala's eyebrows rose and she turned to follow Yuki's gaze. As she looked she couldn't help but laugh and Yuki looked at her quickly, frightened that she had snapped as well.

"You're fine, Yuki. I see them too. It's the park."

"The park?" Yuki asked quizzically. "But those trees are ginormous!"

"Yes, Republic City's Park takes up a good quarter of the city. Didn't you know? It's supposed to be one of the most beautiful outdoor enclosures this side of Ba Sing Se."

"Really?" Yuki was practically breathless as she looked up at the looming trees with a newfound respect.

She dared a sideways glance at Kala, who looked back at her gently. Yuki's eyes were wide and watery and she blinked slowly looking at Kala shyly.

"Can we take a rest there, please? Just for a little while! Please?" She had unconsciously donned the look of a small puppy, big eyes and quivering lips and all. Kala smiled, unable to help herself.

"You don't even have to ask!"

Yuki couldn't recall the last time she was so happy to feel grass. It was cool and unbelievably soft in-between her bare toes in the sunlight. She scrunched her toes, wiggling them in the moist soil with a soft smile spreading out across her features. Her arms dangled out beside her, and she lifted her face up to watch the leaves of the trees dance in the wind. Their shadows danced across her pale skin and a bird twittered at her from within the branches. Yuki laughed and fell backward, landing gently on her back; she stretched her body, rolling around happily on the ground.

Kala laughed at her childish display from her place by the riverside. She was seated gingerly on a large rock, dangling her feet into the cool, dark waters of the river. The water stemmed by her steadily and she allowed her bare toes to be pushed by the gentle current. Water licked by the smooth rocks jutting out from beneath the surface, and Kala could see all the way down the river bed through the crystal clear waters. With a fluid motion she passed her hand over the water and it began to bubble and shift. A large pool of water began to undulate and morph; it broke past the surface and hung mid air. Kala steered it expertly with her hands, guiding it with slow and deliberate motions. It followed her fingers lazily, changing shape lazily to mimic her hand motions. She pulled her hands further apart, and the ball of water began to thin and elongate. With a flash she had snapped her right hand out in front of her, and the water snapped, cracking like a whip across the entire width of the river before falling back into it.

Yuki clapped ecstatically from her (now seated upright) position farther up the river side, and Kala pantomimed a bow.

"Your turn, Yuki!" She called teasingly and Yuki looked at her hands thoughtfully, trying to think of something that would impress her.

She unfolded her hands gingerly from her lap and began to rotate them swiftly about each other in opposing circles. As their speed increased a small ball of condensed air began to form. It swirled, as large air currents collected together and gained momentum. As it begun to billow and expand, Yuki leapt lightly atop it. She balanced on one hand, unfurling her legs and arms into a grand pose atop the swirling ball as it began to move. Her balance was incredible as she buzzed around the open field, switching gingerly from one hand to the other. She completed three complete laps before pushing herself high into the air. She spun, air collecting beneath her, and alighted gingerly atop the rock opposite Kala.

"Show-off!" Kala giggled with a smile, splashing her gingerly with water.

"Hey!" Yuki squealed with a tinkling laugh. She thrust her hands forward and a great gust of air sent Kala reeling backwards. Kala wasn't so easily defeated however and had quickly jumped back atop the rock, great tendrils of water in her wake. Yuki created a wall of swirling air before as the tendrils came at her from all angles. With a quick jabs of her hands the air was sent forth in small shockwaves, meeting the water rockets head-on. They exploded in great spurts of spraying water and both girls were sprayed with the cold water. They laughed and continued their impromptu battle with huge grins.

Their mirth was quickly cut-short as a high pitched whistle pierced the quiet tranquility with a shriek. Yuki clasped her hands to her ears and Kala looked around for the source. An official was bustling at them from the other side of the river, clad in black robes and breathing heavily from blowing his whistle.

"Hey! Stop right there, bending is prohibited!" He yelled at them hoarsely, cheeks red from the effort of the run as he closed in on them.

"Uh-oh…" Yuki said quietly looking at Kala wide-eyed and concerned.

"Don't just stand there; run!" Kala cried grabbing Yuki by the hand and turning quickly on her heels as she started to sprint. The two girls grabbed their bags quickly as they heard the officer yelling at them close behind. Kala's legs flew beneath her, barely touching the ground as she sprinted into the cover of the tree line. Yuki was close behind and was continually looking back to check the position of their pursuer.

"We are starting to lose him!" She cried as they ran, "But he's still hot on our heels."

"Hide!" Kala hissed quickly ducking behind a large tree with a sudden jerk. She flattened her body against the rough bark quietly, and held her breath. Her heartbeat was loud and obnoxious in her rib cage, and every muscle was coiled with tension. She could just barely make out Yuki's outline high above her in the branches of a tree and was genuinely jealous of the young Airbender.

The moments dragged by in an awkward silence until she heard the officials bumbling footsteps. Her heart stopped and she froze. He stumbled into her line of sight and bent over, panting heavily; large stomach distended and cheeks bright red.

"Dammit, where did they go?" He cursed under his breath and then continued on by them, chasing diligently after his elusive prey. Kala remained stock still for a good while after she heard his footsteps fade into the sounds of the trees. She allowed her breathing to return to her softly and blinked slowly. A smile crossed her lips as she realized he wasn't coming back and she sighed audibly with a laugh.

"Kala?" Yuki called softly from above, "Can I come down yet?"

"Yeah, the coast is clear!" Kala called moving away from the tree she had plastered herself too. Yuki leapt gingerly from her hiding spot, air slowing her fall as she moved towards Kala. Yuki's face was pale but she had a wicked smile as she scampered to Kala's side.

"That was amazing! I mean, it was bad we got in trouble…But did you see him just walk right by us? That was so exhilarating! "Yuki chattered happily, beaming.

"Yeah, I think I know what you mean." Kala laughed, realizing that Yuki was still new to being rebellious.

"But we better get out of here just in case." Yuki nodded and then continued out of the park, keeping their eyes open for the official all the while.

Once they were back in the bustling streets of the city, the two relaxed visibly grinning at their own cleverness.

"Hey, look!" Kala cried suddenly, pointing ahead of them, "The bank; we actually made it!"

"Wow!" Yuki grinned, surprised at how their unexpected detour had actually gotten them closer to their destination. The building sparkled in the fading light of the afternoon, with a beautiful golden dome topping its ornate structure. White onyx steps lead the way to the large oak doors, and dozens of people milled lazily in front of them.

"I can wait out here with our bags, if you want. I'm not sure I'd be very helpful anyways." Yuki offered timidly to Kala, who smiled.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. You wait right here, and I'll be back in a jiffy. Oh, and you can watch Miki for me!" She added with a grin, producing the white hamster from the folds of her pocket with a grin.

"Of course!" Yuki smiled, cupping the creature gently in her hands as Kala skipped up the steps with wallet in hand. Miki blinked at her tiredly, and obviously had been napping prior to her rude awakening. With a large yawn and a couple stretches Miki scampered up Yuki's arms and stopped on her shoulders. She giggled as the soft fur tickled her skin and sat down next to their bags on the cool stone steps. Miki sniffed her ear and burrowed into her hair, as Yuki absentmindedly stroked her small body. The sun was sinking fast in the sky and soon twilight would be descending on the city.

Yuki fretted over what they would do for living arrangements, but was distracted as she felt Miki's fur prickle beneath her touch. The hamster had froze and was now locked in a defensive position.

"What's wrong, Miki?" Yuki asked the small thing gently, looking at her concerned. The hamster's eyes were locked on something far off and Yuki followed her gaze. Across the street was a slightly dilapidated looking building, with chipped paint and faded brickwork. The smell of alcohol hung in the air and loud voices were coming from inside it. Yuki assumed it was some sort of bar or club and scanned the outside of it for what had set off Miki.

Her heart beat nervously as she found it. A ring of smoke rose lazily from the center of hunched figures. There were six of them, all male, and they were eyeing her curiously. Yuki dropped her eyes immediately as the sleazy looking guys noticed her staring, and one whistled at her. She busied herself with her bag, avoiding looking back over at them, and chanced a glance at the bank wanting Kala to come back quickly.

As soon as she saw her figure emerge from the building, Yuki bolted from her spot with bags clutched tightly to her chest.

"We've got money!" Kala sang excitedly with a smile, but quickly frowned as she saw Yuki scurrying towards her. Yuki kept her eyes low and shoved Kala's bag into her arms, and then gripped Kala's hand tightly, pulling her away quickly down the street.

"Whoa; Yuki what's up with you? What happened?" She was being pulled along by the frightened girl quickly, and she glanced around confused. It was then that something in the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned around to get a better look and saw six men trailing behind them a couple blocks down. They jeered at the two of them and one called out, but Kala had turned back around before his sentence reached her. Kala began to walk faster and kept pace with Yuki, who looked at her wide-eyed.

"I see them, just keep going. We'll find a market or something to lose them in." Kala kept her eyes forward, tone serious. Yuki gulped and nodded, increasing her speed as she did so.

Neither girl dared to look back at the men, and continued to walk briskly down the darkening streets. They could hear their taunting laughter behind them and that was enough to keep their hearts racing. After continuing down several blocks and seeing no suitable places to lose them, they felt a chill run down their spines.

"Kala…" Yuki whispered suddenly, making Kala jump, "I don't hear them anymore."

Kala strained her ears, but agreed. It was quiet, a little too quiet. She chanced a glance backwards and was surprised to see only two men trailing behind them, much closer than before.

"Where are the others-" Kala was cut off as Yuki yelped in front of her. Kala spun around to see two of the men in front of her, one grabbing Yuki roughly, pinning her hands to her sides.

"Let her go!" Kala cried, hand whipping to her side. Her thumb flipped the cap off of her seal-skin pouch and a long tendril of water emerged from its depths. The man jeered at her and she was about to send the water tearing across his face when her hand was grabbed roughly. She was jerked backwards and an arm was clasped tightly around her throat, pinning her to her captor.

There was a heavy stench of alcohol as she felt his warm breath against her ear, and she struggled against him. He chuckled and cooed softly,

"I like this one; she's awful feisty!" His voice was nasally, and the other men laughed as his long nails dug into her skin.

"Leave her alone!" Yuki cried, arms now pinned behind her by the man who had grabbed her. She inhaled deeply and released a great gush of air from her lungs and the man in front of her tumbled over from the sheer force of the wind. Yuki took the moment of shock to stomp her foot down hard on her captor's foot. He yowled in pain but instead of releasing her, gripped her harder making her wince audibly. She pulled in another great gulp of air but before she was able to release it, a hand had appeared out of nowhere and struck her across the face. Her head jerked to the side sharply and Kala cried out,

"Yuki!"

Her head lolled to one side and the man stood above her examining the rings on his hand for any signs of damage.

"I really wish you girls wouldn't try to fight back. It makes things ever so difficult." His voice sounded tired and he looked at them uninterested. His hair was jet black and greasy, it hung around his face which was far too pointed and angular. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes, and they smoldered violet in the waning light. He wore a long white robe which he brushed off gingerly with a sweeping of his hand. Kala gritted her teeth, finding everything about him disgusting, and continued to struggle against the man holding her.

"See, that is what I was talking about. That struggling of yours is awfully annoying…" The man in white continued, lighting a cigarette casually with a flame produced from his thumb. He took a long drag from it, exhaling slowly before turning to face Kala. She glared at him and he stared back at her, eyes full of indifference. He sighed, and then in a flash had closed the distance between them. Her eyes widened as his hand struck out and pressed the cigarette into the skin of her arm. With a cry she recoiled, eyes watering from the burn as the men around her laughed.

The man tapped the cigarette gently, ash falling lazily from the end, and then stuck it back in-between his red lips. He smiled, with long pointed teeth and Kala bit back her tears.

"Do we understand each other now, little lady?" His voice was a hiss, and his eyes gleamed dangerously as the fire at the end of the cigarette smoldered brightly.

The place where he had burned her smarted painfully and Kala burned with rage. He frowned as she glared and sighed again.

"I wish you wouldn't look at me like that…My boys and myself, honestly, we just want to play." He feigned a pout and took another puff of his cigarette, blowing the smoke out in a long, steady stream.

"I doubt that." Kala growled, and his eyebrows rose at her tenacity. But then he smiled turning his back on her.

"I see you need more convincing…" She braced herself for the attack but he did not turn around. Instead he strode forward in the opposite direction, towards Yuki, Kala realized. Yuki looked up at him fearfully, face red from where she had been struck and attempted to pull away from him. He lashed out and grabbed her roughly by the face, one hand pinching her cheeks roughly together as she whimpered.

"Leave her alone!" Kala shouted.

"Maybe this will convince you…" He continued ignoring Kala's protest as he gingerly pulled the cigarette from his mouth with his free hand. Yuki's eyes grew wide and she pulled away from him even harder, but his grip was like a vice and his hand approached her steadily the light of the cigarette burning brightly. A tear escaped Yuki's eye and Kala screamed,

"**STOP IT**!"

Almost instantaneously, there was a large cracking sound and the man's face was jerked to the side violently. Everyone froze and a rock clattered to the pavement a few feet away as he stumbled backwards. He pressed his hand to his face, blood stemming from a large gash in his temple and he whirled around on his heels,

"WHO THREW THAT?" He screeched, all semblances of dignity and indifference were gone now and were replaced with a burning, indignant rage.

"That'd be me." All their heads spun around as the voice cut out across the night; strong, confident, and most definitely female.

She stood, illuminated by a nearby streetlight, with arms crossed tightly across her chest. She leaned gingerly against a tall pillar of stone and caused another to erupt from the ground with a quick turn of her heel. Her eyes shone like fire and her messy hair was done up in a lazy bun. She had a small frame but there was obvious power in it and with a quick motion, another hunk of rock leapt from the pillar and struck the man holding Kala dead in the face. He choked as it struck and fell backwards in a heap releasing Kala.

Kala and the girl exchanged a glance, and the man in white gulped.

He attempted to block the simultaneous onslaught of both water and rock but his flames were quickly doused, and he was thrown backwards. With a grunt he slammed against a brick wall and slid down it, slumping over in a heap at the bottom. The man next to him gasped and then was catapulted into the air as the ground beneath him sent him flying. Kala turned to the two men behind her and lashed out with her water. They were frozen in surprise and couldn't avoid the water as it hurled them into the street.

The last man stood helplessly, arms still holding Yuki, as he looked at his fallen cohorts. His mouth hung agape and that was all Yuki needed, she flipped out of his loose grip and used his own body as a backboard. She hurtled into the air and then struck her foot out hard against his jaw line, in a brilliant kick. A tooth escaped his parted mouth as his head was jerked to the side and in a great spin he fell to the ground in a heap. Yuki stood over him panting heavily and Kala called her remaining water back to her side.

The whole gang lay in a disheveled heap before them and their rescuer whistled in amazement.

"Now that's how it's done."

* * *

**M&M: Hope you liked the chapter folks! I actually wrote out part of it too! I r proud of me :D (though Momo fluffed it up for me lol)**

**Momo: I Like Torturing Our Characters, CAUSE IT'S FUN :3  
**

**Fayzee: ROCK IN YOUR FACE  
**

**Our other two authors are STILL on vacation. Hurry up you two! :(  
**

**Who is this mysterious chick that has saved our two heroines? Stay tuned for the next chapter and find out! :)  
**

***RANDOM FACT OF THE DAY: Did you know that the mineral onyx can come in any color except purple and blue? (M&M and Fayzee learned this while editing xD)  
**


	3. Noodles Galore

"We better get moving." The girl said matter-of-factly, and grabbed both Yuki and Kala by the wrist before they had time to protest, "We don't want to be around when they wake up, now do we?" She grinned and pulled the two stunned girls behind her swiftly.

The three of them moved through the now darkened streets quickly, and their savior couldn't seem to keep quiet.

"My name's Jemma by the way." She chattered pleasantly as she turned down a brightly lit street filled with milling people, "I'm guessing you girls are new to Republic City? Well you must be, that or just stupid to be caught in Triple Threat Triad territory. But you seem able to handle yourselves pretty well, so I don't think you're stupid. You must be new right?"

"Uh…Yes! We are new, we just arrived here today." Kala spluttered surprised by the sudden pause in conversation and answered quickly.

"Thank you for coming to our rescue like that!" Yuki chimed in and Kala nodded fervently in agreement.

"Yes, thank you!"

Jemma waved them off with a quick flash of her hand, and released their hands as she spun around, walking backwards now. Her sandy brown hair bobbed around her face and she smiled.

"You guys don't have to thank me! As if, I needed a reason to give those guys a piece of my mind! They've been asking for it for a long time…But you guys held your own pretty nicely there for awhile. I especially liked what you did with your air bending; it was air bending right? That was awesome!" Jemma stared at Yuki curiously, who flushed under the sudden attention.

"Yes, it was. I'm an Airbender, my name is Yuki. It's a pleasure to meet you Jemma." She said quietly, bowing respectfully her long ponytail brushing against the pavement.

"Yikes! There's no need to be so polite!" Jemma laughed and Yuki blushed even harder, "But whatever floats your boat, I guess. So you're Yuki the Airbender, and the marvelous Waterbender is…?" She continued looking at Kala now with large eyes.

"Kala; I'm from the Northern Water Tribe." Kala said with a smile.

"Wow! That's far away; cold up there, right?"

"Yes, very." Kala laughed and Jemma smiled.

"I like you two!" She grinned and they all laughed. "Where are you guys headed? You have a place to stay?"

Yuki looked at Kala quickly, who smiled lightly, embarrassed.

"Well for the moment…no we don't." She averted her eyes, not wanting to look at Jemma. Jemma simply laughed and shook her head, and then stopped suddenly. Yuki cocked her head looking at her curiously as inspiration struck her. A look Yuki had seen many times on her sister was plastered on Jemma's face, and she quickly began to rummage around her bag that was slung over her shoulder. There was a rustling of paper and Jemma began to talk quickly, obviously excited,

"I think we might be able to help each other out! The whole reason I was out and about in the first place was because my Mom wanted me to pass out these flyers. We run, well my family runs a restaurant not too far from here. Last week my Mom got really ill…Oh no she's fine, really! She is just going to be stuck in bed for a while. It's not too serious; it just isn't something the doctors can do anything about." She added quickly as the two girls stared at her horrified and continued telling her story fervently,

"Anyways, she used to kind of run the restaurant. But with her illness she has to stay upstairs, that and she has to take care of my younger brothers. Who are incredibly annoying if I do say so myself. Like this one time, Junsu was making this fort out of all the pillows in the house-"

"You were talking about the flyers…" Kala interrupted her gently, sensing her getting off track.

"Oh yeah!" Jemma laughed, switching back on topic swiftly, pushing the flyers at the girls as she continued. They were gold and green with delicate handwriting, and were obviously for the restaurant Jemma had previously mentioned. Across the top they read,

Help wanted at the Overturned Boulder.

"So my Dad basically runs the place with my eldest brother now. But they both are the best cooks we got, so they have to spend most of their time in the back kitchen. Since they are back there that makes me the only waitress and employee working the front, with all the customers. So my Mother kindly told me that I couldn't handle working it all alone." Jemma rolled her eyes at this but still smiled lightly, as the two girls tried to keep up with her long and very involved tale.

"So she made up these flyers, and told you to find some new employees?" Kala inquired, trying to see what Jemma was getting at.

"Yeah; and it looks like I've already done it, in record time nonetheless!" Jemma grinned from ear to ear, obviously feeling triumphant in her accomplishment. Kala stared at her blankly and Yuki stared her puzzled,

"You mean us?" She asked quietly, and Jemma nodded emphatically.

"You want us to be your new waitresses?" Kala asked surprised.

"Of course, you guys would be great; and you haven't even heard the best part of it yet! We have this empty flat above our restaurant, and we've never found a good use for it! Well, that's where you guys could stay! Think about it! You wouldn't even have to pay rent or anything, because you would be working it off in the restaurant! You get to work with me and you don't have to worry about food or board! Am I genius, or what?" Jemma was practically beaming as she looked back and forth, between the two girls with a wild grin.

Yuki turned to Kala, with a shy smile spreading across her lips and Kala couldn't help but smile back. She couldn't deny that it was a very good offer, and she already enjoyed Jemma's company very much but now with Yuki's wide brown eyes on her, there was no possible way she could say no.

"We're in!" Kala grinned and Yuki clapped excitedly.

"Alright!" Jemma cried, pumping her fist in the air and Yuki bowed low in front of her.

"I hope we will do you proud, Boss!"

Jemma raised her eyebrows and then crossed her arms,

"If I'm your new boss, my first command is that you can't call me Boss, alright? Jemma is my name and that's what you'll call me!" She thrust her thumb to her chest and Kala laughed as Yuki nodded emphatically.

What have we gotten ourselves into? Kala thought with a light smile as Jemma turned to show them the way back to the restaurant, and their new home.

* * *

The Overturned Boulder was a surprisingly impressive when it rose into view before them. It loomed above them, nestled between two plain and very large buildings, making it look delightfully out of place. Its façade was ornately decorated and made of a dark colored oak. Two large windows framed the entrance and allowed for an unobstructed view of the dozen or so tables housed inside; many of which were empty due to the late hour.

The district of Republic City they were in was very poor and most of the buildings they had passed on their way here were dilapidated with white-washed signs and darkened windows. Jemma's home, on the other hand, was brightly lit and sparkled in the cool night air. Even from their distance, the girls could distinctly make out the smell of noodles and other oriental delicacies in the night air. Their mouths watered involuntarily, and Kala noticed for the first time how hungry she was.

"I'm sure there will be some leftovers for us." Jemma grinned, reading Kala's mind.

As they neared the restaurant, it looked even more inviting and a warm orange light washed the nearby sidewalk in a warming glow. The large oaken door opened with the tinkling noise of a small bell, and a young man lifted his head from the bar area.

He had been washing up some wine glasses before they had entered, and continued to wipe one absentmindedly with a rag as he nodded at Jemma.

"Welcome back, Sis; and who might these girls be?" His voice was soft and he spoke deliberately, with a certain leisurely pace that clashed with the image of Jemma's younger brother. The girls were expecting another high-strung and motor-mouthed individual, so they eyed this contradiction curiously.

"Meet our new waitresses!" Jemma smiled proudly, as he raised his eyebrows, "Kala and Yuki!" She motioned to each in turn, and they smiled at him. He bowed curtly to each from behind the counter and smiled at them kindly,

"A pleasure to meet you, my name is Shin Woo. I'm Jemma's younger brother, if you couldn't already tell."

"Well you sure do act a lot differently from each other." Kala admitted sheepishly.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He smiled, dark eyes gleaming from beneath his long coppery bangs.

"Hey!" Jemma yelled, clearly offended, glaring at her brother as he chuckled. Shin Woo wiped his hands gingerly on a dry towel and then moved around the counter, his long apron sweeping out in front of him.

"Please sit down, I was just about to make dinner and I'm sure Jemma will be more than happy to fetch the rest of us." He continued gesturing to a large table, as he placed silverware on it gingerly. Jemma began to protest but then thought better of it and waved for Yuki and Kala to sit down, before scampering away behind a curtained exit behind the bar.

Yuki and Kala sat down shyly as Shin Woo finished with the silverware.

"Anything I can make for you in particular?" He asked kindly as he wiped his hands on the hem of his apron. He was extremely tall with thin, but wide shoulders and could have easily been mistaken for being much older than Jemma, if they hadn't been informed otherwise.

"Ah, no, that's fine! I'll just have what everyone else is having!" Kala said putting up her hands; hoping their presence wouldn't be too much for the family.

"Japchae, it is then." Shin Woo said with a smile.

Yuki shifted uncomfortably and bowed her head looking at him apologetically,

"I'm sorry, but I am vegetarian and I'm not familiar with that dish. Will I be able to eat it?"

"Oh yes, it's a vegetable-based dish with noodles. I usually thrown in small pieces of beef but I can leave those out of yours."

"I wouldn't want to be any trouble!" Yuki added wide-eyed and he waved her away with one hand smiling.

"It's no trouble; you two are going to be having to put up with my family while you work. Making you dinner is the least I can do to repay you for that."

Almost on cue, there was the sound of loud footsteps above them. Shin Woo sighed and gave them a knowing look; he then excused himself and went through the curtained door as well, presumably to go start fixing their meal. The thumps above them continued and the girls heard muffled voices and small, shrill shrieks.

"Now that…sounds more like Jemma's younger siblings." Kala said and Yuki laughed.

They took the momentary lack of conversation to look around them at the restaurant. It was surprisingly cozy and had a certain homeliness that made them feel extremely comfortable. They were seated at one of the largest tables and it was situated closest to the bar area; the closer tables were smaller and more intimate. There was a large painting hanging on one of the adjacent walls that made the whole room seem larger. It depicted a market in the Earth Kingdom at high noon, based on the sun painted high in the sky, and was filled to the brim with people. They had delicate faces and were expertly depicted on the canvas. Yuki had to restrain her urge to reach out and touch one of their faces, just to make sure they were not actually real.

The loud crashes upstairs began to crescendo and they could make out multiple people making their way across the floor above them. They crashed into each other and they distinctly heard small children as the footsteps reached the stairs. The noises got closer and closer as they descended and suddenly the curtain was ripped away from the open doorway and three short figures burst into the dining bounded past the bar as a voice reprimanded them from behind, but quickly stopped short as they caught sight of Kala and Yuki.

The eldest looking one of them looked a lot like Jemma, with sandy brown hair and sharp eyes. He looked like he had just had a growth spurt, with his youthful features looking out of place on his now angular and skinny frame. His pants seemed far too short and the sleeves of his tunic barely made it past his elbow. There were large streaks of dirt all over his face, and he wiped them absent mindedly with the back of his hand as he finally spoke,

"Hey, my name's Junsu. You're the new waitresses, right?"

"Yes we are, I'm Kala and this is Yuki." Kala said gesturing at the both of them with a smile at the young boys.

The presumably next eldest brother was the next to speak,

"Jemma hired you, that means you got to play with us right? Are you Earth Benders? We're Earth Benders, and we're really good. It's going to be hard to play with us if you can't Earth Bend!" He had obviously gotten his conversation skills from his sister as he continued to interrogate them, one question after the next.

"Oh no, we're not Earth Benders." Yuki said gently looking at the boy sweetly. "But maybe we can still play with you?"

The boy crossed his arms thoughtfully, and looked at Yuki seriously,

"Maybe, if you can keep up." She smiled and he flushed slightly, "I'm Chang Min, by the way; and this is Jae Jeoung." He added, pointing at the smallest boy who was clutching him gently. Jae Jeoung was partially hidden behind his brothers, but he peered around them at the mention of his name and eyed Kala curiously. She smiled at him as he stared and he reached a small hand up, and waved at her slowly speaking very softly,

"Hello beautiful woman." Yuki tried to contain her laugh as Kala flushed; the highly articulate and sweet sentence seemed sorely out of place coming from the small boy who couldn't have been older than five.

"Hey! Stop bothering them!" Jemma's angry voice rang out from the doorway and the small boys scattered. Yuki giggled as Jemma stormed in and the boys tried to make themselves scarce by leaping behind chairs and tables. Jemma looked at Kala and Yuki apologetically and sighed,

"Sorry about them, the little pests don't know when to go away. Hope they weren't too annoying."

"No they were cute!" Yuki smiled and Jemma rolled her eyes.

"Oh please, you'll give them big heads and I don't want them getting any more obnoxious." To add emphasis to what she had said, she kicked a nearby stool sending a squealing Chang Min darting to find new cover. "I can see all of you!" She cried exasperated as the boys tried to suppress their giggles.

She plopped herself down in her chair with a huff, crossing her feet on the table as she glared at a nearby table. Junsu stuck his tongue out at her and then scrambled further away as she chucked a rock at him. As he reached the other side, preparing to retaliate, a strong voice cut out across the dining room,

"No bending inside; you should know better! Jemma, get your feet off the table!" Jemma's feet were on the ground in an instant and the three scattered boys had leapt to their respective places in a flash. Yuki and Kala both looked to the doorway where the voice had come from and were greeted with a tired smile.

"Sorry about that, girls; sometimes you have to play the mean card when you're a mom." Jemma's mother sighed tiredly, leaning on the doorway. She wore a simple white gown that hung on her slender frame loosely and was extremely pale, with large circles beneath her eyes. Her wiry hair was slung over her shoulder in a large braid, and it swung lazily as she tried to stand up straight.

"Mom, you should be in bed." Jemma said watching her worriedly. She waved away the thought with her hand, but Yuki was quickly on her feet rushing over to her side.

"Please, let me help you!" She offered, gingerly reaching out her hands to the woman as she swayed on her feet. Jemma's Mother eyed her carefully and then allowed herself to lean lightly against Yuki, who helped her to the table.

"I see why my daughter thought you two would make a good addition to this place." She smiled as Kala pulled out her chair for her, and she sat down carefully holding her stomach lightly. "We need more help like you." She added looking at her children with a stern glance.

"I was just about to ask to help you!" Junsu said, clearly lying and as her gaze turned on him he lowered his eye and averted his gaze.

"Where's Dad?" Jemma asked, trying to change the subject before her mother's anger was turned on her.

"He's in the kitchen helping Shin Woo with dinner; they should be almost done." She said gently, unfolding her napkin and placing it gingerly on her lap. Yuki and Kala sat back down and did the same, and Kala shifted in her chair uncomfortably as Jae Jeoung eyed her intently from across the table. His large brown eyes were wide and he waved at her flirtatiously as she tried to contain a laugh behind her hand.

Suddenly there was a very strong aroma of noodles and other spices as the curtained door was pulled aside for the final time. A tall figure ducked through the archway, head barely missing the doorframe, with his arms full of ornate china. Even with the large quantity of dishes he held, the man seemed untroubled and moved towards the table with an expert dexterity. He was clearly Jemma's Father, a slender man with the same green eyes as her, and wispy sandy hair. It was cropped up short but had the same light bounce to it that Shin Woo's had. The edges of his almond eyes crinkled with thin wrinkles as he smiled at the rest of his family.

"Here is yours, Yuki." Shin Woo appeared behind her, placing a large bowl of steaming noodles in front of her, his resemblance to his Dad strikingly apparent.

"Oh thank you!" Yuki smiled, blushing as Shin Woo smiled back at her. They passed out the rest of the food with nimble fingers and took their respective seats as the young boys dived into their meals hungrily. Chang Min slurped up an incredibly long noodle with a large, unappealing sucking noise and Yuki gingerly picked up her chopsticks. She averted her eyes as Junsu practically inhaled his bowl of rice and made herself busy with her noodles.

"Chew your food, Junsu." Jemma's mother said icily, sighing tiredly as she picked up her utensils gingerly. Junsu pouted and sat up straighter in his chair, attempting to slow down in his violent eating display.

"So where are you girls from?" Jemma's Father asked gently, with a soft baritone voice, as he ladled soup carefully into his wife's bowl for her.

"Oh, I am from the Northern Water Tribe." Kala said, blowing on her noodles lightly before putting them in her mouth.

"Wow that is quite a ways away. That must have been some journey." Shin Woo said obviously impressed with her.

"Did you two travel all that way together?" Jemma's Mother asked looking at Yuki now with curious eyes.

"Oh no, we just recently met." Yuki said lightly, smiling at Kala, "I was a part of a traveling circus; we were going across the Earth Kingdom when Kala came along."

"You were a part of a circus?" Chang Min was practically falling out of his chair as he stared at her with his mouth agape, "What was your act? Did you do something dangerous? Did you ever almost die? What was it like?"

"Let the poor girl answer, Chang Min; one question at a time, please!" Jemma's Mother cried at him exasperated, but obviously interested in what Yuki's answer would be.

"I bet it was something to do with your Air Bending, am I right?" Jemma grinned as the rest of her family gasped.

"You're an Air Bender?" Shin Woo gawked, making her blush with a small nod.

"Yes, I am."

"I don't believe you!" Chang Min shot, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Yeah, let's see some proof!" Junsu added.

Yuki thought for a moment and then waved her hand gingerly over the table, in response a great gust of air shot across the table. It ruffled Chang Min's hair and he squealed in delight.

Jemma's father whistled in amazement and said,

"Now that is impressive. I feel we have much to learn from you both. Please tell us more about yourselves."

Kala and Yuki smiled; more than willingly to share with the bubbly family that had so graciously allowed them into their home.

* * *

"And here's your flat." Jemma said, gesturing to a door at the top of the long flight of stairs.

Dinner had gone much longer than they had expected, but had been filled with pleasant conversation the entire time. After they had finished Yuki, Kala, and Jemma had done the dishes as the younger children were corralled into bed. Once they had finished Jemma had been kind enough to stay up and give Yuki and Kala the grand tour.

Behind the curtained door of the dining room, was the small but spacious kitchen. It was jam-packed with pots and pans of all shapes and sizes and smelled of fresh ingredients and cooking oil. As they continued through the kitchen the hallway narrowed and reached the end of the building. On their right was a set of stairs and on their left was a small room. The door was slightly ajar and a small desk could be seen, with papers neatly folded atop it.

"That's Shin Woo's room." Jemma had said nonchalantly, closing the door with a smile, "It's almost as boring as him in there."

They continued up the stairs where a large landing rose before them. Many doors branched off and Jemma named off each room as they passed.

"This is where most of us sleep. That's my parents' room, Junsu, Chang Min and Jae Jeoung share that room, and here's mine! You guys are welcome in here anytime you like!" Jemma smiled as she cracked open the last door before the next set of stairs. It was a small room, but was cluttered with various trinkets and accessories. It was crowded but comfortable and Jemma beamed proudly.

"Now come on, I'll show you yours!" She hurried them up the next set of stairs; at the top she gestured at their door and then pushed it open lightly. It gave way easily and another couple of steps lead them to their flat.

The floor plan was ridiculously spacious and the room seemed far larger than it actually was because of an expansive window that took up almost the entire back wall. The night sky could be seen clearly through the large panes, and moonlight bathed the room in an eerie glow. The floor was a polished wood and it creaked lightly under their feet as they surveyed the high ceiling and sparse furniture.

"This place is usually for my relatives, so most of the stuff belongs to my grandparents." Jemma said, dusting an old sofa with her hand. "There are two beds for you guys, over there." She gestured at a portioned off section of the open area. There was a simple screen that rose up and partially obscured the two beds behind rice paper covered in a delicate floral pattern. The beds had deep purple linens and were covered in small decorative pillows.

"It's not much, I know…" Jemma said quietly but stopped as Yuki turned to her with tears in her eyes.

"It's beautiful!" She cried, throwing her arms around Jemma in a warm hug, "Thank you so much!"

"Oh, y-you're welcome, I guess." Jemma flushed and then hugged Yuki back gently.

"It really is perfect. We can't thank you and your family enough." Kala added smiling at Jemma as Yuki pulled away.

"Yeah, well you can thank us by working hard." Jemma smiled, moving back towards the door, "Work starts at sunrise, so I better see you downstairs and ready to go when that happens. Alright?"

"Of course!" Yuki and Kala cried in unison, and Jemma laughed.

"Night!" She called as she moved down the stairs.

"Good night, Jemma!" Kala called back, before flopping down on the couch. Yuki twirled around on her feet, hands clasped behind her back as she looked around the flat with wide eyes. She ran her fingers gingerly across the low counter beneath the window and opened the door to the bathroom curiously. As she surveyed the toilet and shower she smiled and turned back to Kala, who had moved to her bed and had begun to unpack her bag. Miki scampered around on the silken sheets and had quickly settled at the foot of the bed.

"Isn't this incredible?" Yuki beamed, skipping over to the two of them as Kala smiled

."It really is." Kala said. "We are so lucky!"

"Mhmm, the luckiest girls in the world!" Yuki giggled.

"Well the luckiest girls in the world have work tomorrow; so let's try and get some sleep." Kala said pulling her pajamas out of her bag tiredly. The two quickly got ready for bed and crawled beneath the sheets.

Yuki pulled the covers up to her nose and stared up at the ceiling with wide eyes. She scrunched the silky fabric with her fingers and then turned to look at Kala's sleeping figure in the bed beside her. Kala's sides rose and fell as she breathed slowly and Yuki smiled. She whispered softly,

"Good night, Kala." And let her eyes close as she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The early morning air was filled with a heavy fog as it swept through the streets of the city. Large drops of condensation hung lazily in the air and gave the morning a certain lazy feel. Even in the early hours of the day, the city was already alive with the noises of people. Trams glided lazily on their tracks and merchants unloaded their new wares for the day loudly. Boxes were unloaded from the beds of trucks and fish were placed in great barrels of ice, straight from the sea.

The usual serenity of silence Yuki enjoyed in the morning was hard to find, and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly as she sat, frowning slightly. Her legs were folded crisscrossed and she was seated in the middle of the floor facing the window. The edge of her ponytail tickled her back lightly, and her hands were folded neatly in her lap.

She inhaled deeply trying to find her center, breathing in through her nose and then out through her mouth. Yuki imagined her body collapsing in on itself, becoming a vacuum that was concentrated on one point. That small mass of energy would contain everything, all her impurities and earthly desires. She chanted a sutra silently within her mind as she allowed herself to be washed in meditation. The world fell silent around her and she was one with everything, and everything was a part of her.

"What are you doing on the floor?" A high-pitched voice, screeched through her thoughts and she was poked violently in the cheek. Her nostrils flared and she attempted to stay grounded, keeping her eyes closed tightly as her peace of mind was assaulted.

"I'm meditating." She answered evenly, as Chang Min continued to poke her cheek with his finger.

"What's a me-di-ta-tion?" Jae Jeoung asked curiously from her other side, as he took up the poking as well.

"Does it hurt?"

"Why are you doing it?"

"Is your hair heavy?"

"How long does it take to do your ponytail?"

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"Have you had your first kiss?"

Their questions continued like an avalanche and she felt her concentration ebbing away from her like the receding tide. She gritted her teeth as the boys continued to prod at her until she couldn't take it any longer. She thrust her arms out around her and the two boys were sent flying backwards in a great gale. In an instant she realized what she had done and pulled back her arms, causing the boys to switch directions mid-air and come careening back at her.

They landed in a tangled heap before her and she crouched over them, touching them lightly as she cried,

"Are you okay? I am so sorry guys!"

Her worry was short-lived however because within an instant the boys were on their feet, practically jumping up and down.

"Again, again!" They cried in unison with bright eyes and wide smiles.

"What?"

"That was AWESOME; do it again! Send us flying!" Chang Min was bubbling as he clasped his hands together pleadingly.

"You want me to do that again?" Yuki repeated dumbly, as the little boys nodded emphatically. "I guess I can…" She held up her hands gingerly and shot out a gust of wind, sending the boys into a giggling squealed as she pulled them back to her and grinned at her. Yuki couldn't help a small chuckle as she repeated the process again and again to the amusement of the small boys.

"What…are you doing?" Kala's voice made Yuki jump and the little boys hit the wooden floor hard.

"Kala!" She whirled around to look at the disheveled girl standing next to her bed. She had clearly been awakened by the noise and was rubbing her eyes tiredly as she stared at them confused. Yuki glanced at the boys, who stared back at her with wide eyes.

"It's was their idea!"

"It was her idea!"

Yuki pointed at them indignantly as they did the same to her, and Kala stifled a giggle.

"It's okay, I needed to get up anyway. We have to start working soon anyways."

"Oh!" Chang Min and Jae Jeoung looked at each other suddenly, remembering something important. "That's why we came up here!" Chang Min darted to the stairs and grabbed a small bundle from the top step. It was wrapped in simple brown fabric and he presented it to Yuki gingerly. "These are your uniforms."

Yuki raised her eyebrows as she unwrapped the twine around the parcel with nimble fingers, and gasped as she saw the bright emerald fabric. It was silken to the touch and Kala moved closer to get a better look. The dress moved like liquid as Yuki raised it up and the two girls were astonished. It was a simple pattern, a dress with a high collar and tight waistline but it was shockingly beautiful. It had small accents of gold on the hem and sleeves and shimmered in the dim light.

"It's gorgeous…" Kala breathed, picking up the second one gingerly and pulling it close to her.

"You should make sure they fit, and then you are supposed to meet Jemma in the kitchen." Chang Min said simply, pulling his younger brother towards the stairs as he talked.

"Bye Beautiful Woman!" Jae Jeoung called as he was herded out the door, and Kala snorted in response.

"Come on!" Yuki cried excitedly, jumping up from her spot on the floor, "Let's get going!"

The two got dressed in a flash and hurried down the stairs, two at a time, until they arrived in the kitchen with wide smiles. They had never been more excited to get to work.

Jemma raised her eyebrows as the two bounded into the kitchen and laughed at their bright faces,

"Well I guess you two are ready to go!"

"Yes, we are!" Kala said excitedly out of breath.

"Alright, well we'll get started then. Looks like those uniforms fit perfectly." Jemma said looking them over in their new outfits.

"They are just beautiful, Jemma!" Yuki breathed as she twirled around, the hem of her dress spinning around her thighs.

"I am glad you like them." A voice said from behind them, and they parted so Shin Woo could pass by them with arms full of fresh vegetables. "They are family heirlooms." He added as he placed the vegetables into their respective baskets in the pantry.

"Really?" Kala asked incredulously, suddenly feeling very out of place in the dress.

"Yeah, which is just a fancy way of saying they are old and were just gathering dust in our linen closet. Don't sweat it, alright? Come on follow me and I'll show you your tables!" Jemma hurried them through the curtained doors so Shin Woo and his Father could begin prepping the kitchen for the day's' work.

Jemma gestured to the different tables placed around the dining room and gave each of the girls their respective tables. These would be the tables they would be in charge of for the entire day. She showed them how to properly set the table with fresh silverware and clean napkins as well as how to properly clean the tables once a meal had been finished. Jemma repeated the menu as she taught so that the girls would be familiar with the dishes when asked about them.

"There is so much to remember." Yuki said quietly, suddenly feeling overwhelmed as she tried to remember which side of the plate the fork went.

"It seems like a lot at first, I know; but you'll get the hang of it real quick! I promise, you guys are doing great!" Jemma thumped Yuki on the back roughly and smiled. Yuki smiled back at her lightly, trying to feel as confident in her abilities as Jemma was.

Jemma was a surprisingly good teacher and the girls enjoyed themselves as they readied the restaurant. Sweeping the wooden floor was surprisingly fun as the girls chattered away about this and that. Jemma's Father ducked his head in every now and then to check up on them, but only smiled as he saw the giggling young ladies. He would shake his head and return to the kitchen while Jemma beamed, proud of her selection in waitresses. Yuki and Kala were eager and just like Jemma had said, they were quick to learn. By the time the first customer entered the shop they felt like they could take on the world.

"Welcome, to the Overturned Boulder! How can we help you today?" They all cried in unison with bright smiles on their faces and hope in their hearts.

* * *

**Sorry for the long, boring chapter, we had to get this out of the way to get to the awesome parts. So the story will pick up in the next chapter, we promise!**

**And now one of our author's has returned from her vacation! Introducing, our official artist... Vowels!  
Hi! Official drawer here! -Putting pens and scissors in me- And read the fluff children, it's good for your health!**

**Momo: This Chapter Killed Me; But Jirou And The Gang Shall Save Me! :3**

**M&M: I had to keep Momo from getting distracted and writing random fluff about our characters...**

**Fayzee: The mayhem that my fictional family gets in is not so different than my actual one**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter, it definitely shall be more exciting! And please review! We would love to here your opinions on the story :)**


	4. Fire and Feathers will Fly

Hey, Yuki; come here a minute!"

"Coming!" Yuki called back, jotting down the last of the order onto her weathered notepad as she did so. She ran her finger softly down the list of entrees, reading them aloud as she passed them and then looked up at the couple seated in front of her. "Is that right?"

"Yep, that's everything." The young man smiled at her as she beamed proudly.

"Okay then; your order will be out in a jiffy!" She bowed and then skipped to the back of the dining room, emerald dress flaring out behind her. Yuki threw back the ragged curtain gently and tacked the sheet of paper atop a stack of similar sheets. The papers rustled noisily from their spot atop the counter and had quickly multiplied from the last time she had been back there. Shin Woo looked up from slicing green onions as she entered and wiped the back of his hand against his brow. His forehead was caked with sweat from the heat of the kitchen, and his burgundy bangs were plastered across his face.

"Jemma's waiting for you out back." He gestured with his thumb over his shoulder and she looked back at him puzzled.

"Out back?" She repeated questioningly. It had been two weeks since she and Kala had come to Republic City, and she was still getting used to the quirks that came with the new job. This was the first time Jemma had asked for her personally and now she was waiting for her in the back…What in the world could she need? Yuki's thoughts began to race as she tried to retrace her steps in the past couple of days to double check if she had inadvertently done anything wrong.

Shin Woo smiled at her with a small nod,

"Go on, don't keep her waiting."

Yuki nodded and placed her paper and pen neatly on the counter. She slipped out of the kitchen and down the narrow hallway to the oak door that led to the outside of the building. It stuck in the door jamb as she tried to open it and she found herself pushing against the door with her full weight to get it to move. It finally swung open with a tired groan, and Yuki stepped out into the bright sunlight, shielding her eyes with her hand. Her eyes took a moment to adjust to the strong light and she found herself squinting at the small courtyard behind the restaurant. It was mainly concrete and was filled with dumpsters and trash of all sizes and kinds. The only prominent feature of the open area was the not-so-spectacular stable stall that was poorly built in the center. It was home to one animal, which was currently shrieking loudly as Jemma tried to coax it roughly out of its stall.

"Urgh! Come on, Timmy!" Jemma gritted her teeth as the large Ostrich-Horse dug its leathery feet further into the straw covered dirt. His great ivory talons burrowed into the ground and his beak clacked loudly as he squawked at Jemma defiantly. Jemma pulled roughly on the reigns of Timmy's bridle which only caused the creature to pull away from her with more force. His head jerked back in a jerky motion, and his beady black eyes glared at her with a silent fury.

"Timmy, come on boy!" Yuki called the creature softly, and his ears immediately shot straight up. His great neck arched as he searched for her and then cried loudly as he spotted her. Timmy shot forward so fast that Jemma was thrown to the ground in a heap. She yelped and rubbed her sore bottom as Timmy nuzzled Yuki's head.

"Hey, stop that!" She giggled, attempting to shove him away playfully, "That tickles!" Timmy clacked his beak happily and continued to nuzzle her fondly. She stroked his furry neck gently and grabbed his bridle, turning to look at Jemma who had gotten to her feet.

"I swear, all animals hate me." Jemma spat angrily, glaring at Timmy who brushed her off with a turn of his feathered head. For an animal he was quite expressive, and was quite accurately giving Jemma the cold shoulder.

"Oh I am sure that isn't true!" Yuki cried apologetically as Jemma rolled her eyes, "You just have to be…a little more gentle?"

"When they give me sass, my first impulse usually isn't to be gentle." Jemma growled still glaring at Timmy, and Yuki giggled lightly. The Ostrich-Horse had lost all interest in their conversation and was now grooming himself casually with his beak. His long black feathers rustled gently as he cleaned the dirt from them and shone in the sunlight.

"Anyway…" Jemma continued, looking away from the animal and back at Yuki, "I need a favor; that's why I called you out here in the first place."

"Oh?" Yuki said surprised, "What kind of favor?"

"Well, since you're obviously better at handling Timmy than I am, I need you to take him to market. He can pull this cart here, because we are running low on flour and need lots of it!" Jemma pulled a rickety looking four wheeled wagon from behind a dumpster and smiled at Yuki.

"You want me to go and buy more ingredients?" Yuki asked incredulously, shocked that Jemma would trust her with such a large responsibility.

"Yeah, I can cover your tables while you're out; and you went with me last week. So you know where to buy all the stuff."

"You really think I can do it?"

Jemma smiled and looked at Yuki with sparkling eyes,

"Yuki, I know you can do it."

Yuki flushed and then nodded emphatically.

"Then I'll do my best; I won't let you down!"

"Hah, now that's the spirit! Come on; help me get this great big lug harnessed up." Working together the two girls managed to get Timmy fully strapped to the cart, despite his protests, and soon Yuki was holding his reigns tightly as she led him down the alley. Jemma waved them off and then ducked back inside, leaving Yuki on her own. She gulped as she stopped short of entering the crowded street, fearing the many people that moved passed her like serpents. Her heart thudded against her rib cage and a sudden fear gripped her. She debated going back and forcing Jemma to accompany her, but was prodded gently from behind. Timmy pushed his skull gently into the small of her back and whined quietly, looking at her with wide black eyes. She smiled lightly as she stroked his silken fur and he clacked his beak.

"You're right." She spoke softly, kissing him gently on the crown of his head, "There is nothing to be scared of; I can do this." Timmy nuzzled her again and she laughed, stepping out into the street with Timmy in close tow behind. They strode to the edge of the sidewalk, just as she had seen Jemma do before, and she steered the cart carefully down the crowded street. The rear wheels rattled against the cobblestone and Yuki felt herself glancing over her shoulder many times to double check that the cart hadn't fallen to pieces.

It was a pleasant afternoon and Yuki realized it was her first time being outside in a while. She loved feeling the sun on her shoulders and she breathed in the sounds of the city, feeling more relaxed the farther she went. The initial fear she had felt of being by herself started to ebb away and was replaced with a certain unspoken confidence. Every minute she spent in Republic City helped build her confidence; she still couldn't believe she was actually here. A month ago she was merely dreaming of the life she had now. Every now and again she would find herself thinking of her old life at the circus. Yuriko's smile would flash in her memories and she would feel a knot in her chest. It was lonely sometimes when she thought of some of the people she had left behind. Yuki knew she wasn't strong, most nights she couldn't help but shed a couple tears as her stomach started to do somersaults as she realized what she had done. But little by little she had gained some semblance of courage. When she felt lonely or regretful, Yuki would simply look to the new friends and opportunities she had made within the city. She couldn't feel more blessed, and felt it was wrong for her to feel any other emotion besides gratitude.

Timmy squawked happily next to her and she had to quiet him gently as passersby eyed him strangely. They must have been the quiet the sight, she realized; her being in her shimmering waitress uniform and Timmy towering a good head and shoulders above the rest of the crowd with his dark almond eyes. Most of the transportation in Republic City was by Sato Mobile, and although animals like Timmy weren't unheard of, they were still few and far between. If you were still pulling a cart by animal, it was the thought of many that you didn't belong in the streets of Republic City. She tried to smile at the people who gave her odd looks but that only aroused their suspicion more. Many of them glared at her and she lowered her eyes, keeping her gaze fixated on her feet. Yuki had seen so many different sides of the city it was like whiplash. Jemma and her family were so kind to her and Kala; but then there was also the Triple Threat Triads that had attacked them on their first day. Republic City was beautiful but was also dangerous. It had its slums as well as its opulent mansions. There was no telling what kind of people you would encounter if you ventured out, and what they would do to you.

Soon the smell of fresh fish and the sounds of vendors made Yuki raise her head and she smiled as she saw the marketplace roar into view. Brightly colored tarps and tents littered the voluminous street, and everywhere she looked there was something different to buy. It was bustling at this time of the day and she slowed to nearly a dead stop as she tried to wade through the crowd. It was hard enough getting through the crowds on foot, let alone with Timmy and the cart in tow behind her. She bit her lower lip nervously as she tried to find an opening in the sea of patrons and merchants.

"Excuse me." She tried gingerly, as she was shoved roughly from all sides. The people either couldn't hear her or ignored her and went on their way without hesitation. Men were carrying heavy parcels and barked at anyone who got in their way and young children darted between people's legs like shadows. Yuki sighed and stroked Timmy's feathers gently as she tried again to get through the throng of tangled people. She pressed farther down the street as she scanned the many stalls and stores. By all means the market seemed normal, and everyone was going about their business as usual. There were more people than she had seen previously with Jemma, and something seemed …off.

She couldn't put her finger on it and she wondered if she wasn't just being paranoid since she was by herself this time. The hair on the back of her neck started to prickle and she tried to calm her breathing, which had inexplicably become shallower. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, and she stopped to pretend to look at a vacant stall so she could calm her quivering nerves. The stall was nearly empty and the owner was clearly not around. Yuki assumed they had gone home to retrieve more wares seeing that they had been nearly stripped bare. Whatever the reason for their absence, Yuki was glad for it because the empty stall provided the perfect cover. Her eyes scanned the crowd sharply and a chill went down her spine as a man passed closely by the stall, nearly within arm's reach. The coat he wore was a dark burgundy and swept out in front of him, and Yuki could have sworn she had already seen it several times already that day. She quickly stood on tiptoes and scanned the way she had come, a sinking feeling took her as she recognized the same jacket on almost five other people. The jacket itself wasn't hideously gaudy or different; but when she saw so many with the same one it made her heart skip a beat. The only people she had heard of that wore similar clothes like these, were the type of people she would like nothing to do with.

The man nearest to her had stopped at the stall directly across from her and was now leaning on a box of pineapples precariously. For his large frame, he balanced expertly and crossed one leg over the other comfortably. His hood was up, casting a large shadow over his face, and from what she could tell he seemed to be scanning the crowd as his head moved back and forth meticulously. Her eyes traced the golden emblem emblazoned on his coat and she gulped. The gold shimmered in the sunlight and the image depicted a vicious looking creature that resembled a wolf with large plates of armor on its neck and back. Its pupil-less eyes bore into her very soul and she found herself looking away from the emblem quickly. Stories of gangs and Triple Threat Triads flashed in her brain and she quickly became very uneasy. Their encounter with the Triple Threat Triads before had been all the adventure Yuki had ever needed, and she certainly didn't want a similar experience. Her dreams were still clouded with the image of the man in white with his cigarette burning a hole straight through her.

She ducked back further into the stall hoping to conceal herself, pulling Timmy along too who, thankfully, had remained silent this entire time, obviously sensing her unease. It was cramped but she at least felt more protected than standing out in the open. She kept her eyes glued on the young man, who was now drumming lazily on his thighs with his fingers. His long fingernails were painted jet-black and had a cigarette balanced delicately between his ring and pinky finger. As she saw the glowing embers fall from it, Yuki felt herself draw back even further into the stall. She knew it couldn't be the same man but the sight of a cigarette now sent chills down her spine nevertheless. Although the fear was now gnawing at her, screaming at her to get away, Yuki continued to watch the man carefully. He seemed to be humming the tune of whatever song he was playing with his fingers and as he reached the chorus he began to whistle. It was a high-pitched and extremely loud whistle that cut above the heavy sounds of the marketplace.

Almost instantaneously four other men, clad in the same coat, appeared around him. Yuki threw her hand to her mouth to muffle her startled cry. The men had been concealing themselves within nearby boxes and had been clearly waiting for the leaders' signal to emerge from their hiding spots. One of the newcomers moved closer to the man with the cigarette, who was still whistling sharply, and began to whisper in his ear fervently. The man stopped whistling and directed his gaze across the open expanse of the market to the stalls across from him. For a second Yuki thought he was looking at her and she felt her heart stop dead. As she looked closer, however, she saw his gaze was directed at the stall directly beside hers. She looked over and her heartbeat quickly spluttered to life again.

The stall was chock full of priceless jewelry and filled to the brim with objects of obvious worth.

The man raised his cigarette to his lips and pulled down his hood; his long black hair now shining in the sunlight as he smiled at the stall. More hooded figures emerged from the crowd and Yuki began to panic, their target of attack painstakingly obvious.

_I have to get out of here. _She thought desperately looking at Timmy with wide eyes. Timmy's gaze was directed at something behind her, however, and she looked at him curiously. He made a small chirp and as she was about to turn, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a voice in her ear,

"You shouldn't be here; you could get hurt."

She squealed and jumped around, arms raised and ready to strike, to face the owner of the voice. A hand was quickly shoved to her mouth to silence her and she stared at the man wide eyed. She raised her eyebrows quickly as he held up an index finger to his lips, begging her silently to remain quiet. Yuki had no choice but to comply with his palm cupped firmly across her mouth and eyed him cautiously.

She guessed he was in his early twenties, from his youthful but rugged features. The man was surprisingly tall and was stooped over slightly in the small stall. His long bangs fell about his handsome features and framed his smoky caramel eyes; his hair was a dirty blonde and had obviously been dyed many times. White teeth flashed behind his pale lips as he smiled at her and he gently removed his hand from her mouth, obviously assured that she wouldn't scream.

"We don't want them to know we're here, now do we?" He nodded behind her, and she looked over her shoulder to see the men still standing at the other side of the market. The man with the cigarette now seemed to be directing the men silently as the begun to stir impatiently.

Yuki glanced back at the man with blonde hair curiously and he smiled nonchalantly at her, seemingly unconcerned. He moved away from her quietly and she watched him as he moved to the back of the stall. He pulled back the fabric of the back wall and gingerly scanned behind the stall.

"We should be able to get out this way." He said simply, opening the fabric wider and gesturing for her to follow him. Yuki remained rooted in her spot however and he looked back at her surprised.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked quietly, gripping Timmy's reigns tightly in fear. The man smiled at her widely and she felt her heart beat faster.

"I don't want you getting hurt, of course. Those men are going to notice you eventually, you know."

Yuki flushed brightly, but remained still; she looked back over at the men who had now begun to move towards them. The blonde haired man saw them too and quickly extended his hand towards Yuki. She eyed it cautiously and he smiled again, reaching out for her.

"You're going to have to trust me. I'll get you out of here." He whispered gently, holding his hand palm open towards her.

She looked back at the men and then looked back at his hand.

He grinned as she gingerly took his hand and gripped it tightly.

"Follow me closely, and keep your eyes on me." He squeezed her hand and she blushed harder. He pulled them through the back of the stall quickly, and Timmy rolled the cart along right behind them.

His cloak billowed out behind him as he led her behind the crowded stalls quickly. As instructed, she kept her eyes glued to him and tried to resist the urge to look behind them. Her heartbeat was racing as she fled and she could have sworn she heard them following close behind. She subconsciously squeezed the man's hand tighter in fear, and he glanced back at her. She looked at him with swimming eyes and he smiled at her reassuringly. They picked up speed and he breezed through the maze of the market expertly. They ducked behind large crates and maneuvered behind vendors, all without a single pause. The man moved with a certain relaxed air about him, as though it was all a game and would occasionally turn around to smile at her gently. Yuki felt like a rag doll as she was pulled along behind him, and couldn't help the despair that crawled over her.

"Almost home-free!" He called back to her lightly with a laugh, and she found herself believing him without hesitation. They turned a sharp corner and he pulled her into a narrow alley, littered with debris and garbage. He pressed himself against the wall and she did the same, still holding his hand tightly. Timmy squawked indignantly as he was crammed into the small space, and the man shushed him jokingly. Yuki couldn't help a small smile, but remained quiet as he peered around the edge of the alley and into the crowded marketplace. After a long while, he turned to look at her with a large grin plastered on his face,

"I think we lost them. I wonder if they will be able to find me all the way over here?" He pondered out loud to himself and she looked at him curiously.

"Do you want them too?" Yuki asked confused, sensing a certain bemused delight on the man's features as the thought occurred to him.

"Well, they'll have to find me eventually. "

She squeezed his hand tightly and looked at him seriously,

"Don't say things like that! You can get away from them; we can run farther away!"

"The thing is….I tend to attract those kinds of people. I don't think if I ran I could lose them."

He smiled playfully at her, once again ambivalent about the dangers concerning him. It was as if he were actually looking forward to the men finding him.

"Aren't you scared?"

"Not really, it's not like they'll do anything to me."

The more she talked to this man the more confused she became, Yuki realized. She stared at him quizzically and he chuckled at her. He squeezed her hand and looked at her,

"What's your name?"

"Yuki." She said quietly, utterly confused. Yuki had believed this man was trying to help her, but as he smiled at her slyly she began to have doubts.

"Mmm, beautiful name." He smiled and she blushed, "Well, Yuki I…" He was cut off by a high-pitched whistle and Yuki jumped.

"It's them!" She cried and he chuckled.

"Guess they couldn't find me by themselves, damn newbies." He smiled looking out at the market with a twinkle in his eyes.

Yuki looked at him and he winked at her gingerly.

"That's my ride; I've got to be going. Hopefully, we will meet again Yuki." He pulled her hand up to his face and kissed it lightly. She flushed scarlet and he laughed, turning away from her. As he left the alley and her behind he called back over his shoulder, "Name's Jirou; you should look me up sometime!"

Yuki was left stunned as she watched his cloak disappear into the crowd. Timmy squawked and she snapped out of her daze in an instant.

"Wait!" She cried and ran to the edge of the alley, scanning the crowd for his blonde head passionately. The sea of people undulated by her furiously and her heart pounded as she searched. All sorts of images flashed in her mind of what the gang members would do to him if they found him. She gasped as she finally spotted him on the far side of the market, surrounded by hooded, cloaked figures. Her heart leapt and she darted forward towards him but stopped as she heard his booming laugh.

She watched dumbfounded as Jirou grabbed one of the men and ruffled his hair playfully. He was completely surrounded but he didn't seem the slightest bit uneasy. In fact, he was practically beaming as he looked at them all proudly. Yuki watched horrified from her spot on the edge of the street. The men were grinning and showing off their stolen goods proudly to Jirou, who took each in turn and examined it thoughtfully. They were like children clustering around a father figure. It was clear that Jirou had been one of them from the start. Yuki couldn't believe her eyes as Jirou conversed with the gang nonchalantly and thought perhaps she was hallucinating.

How could the man who had just saved her from those guys, be one of them too?

She watched him wide-eyed, frozen in place, as he donned one of their jackets and strode away with them down the street. His blonde hair bounced around him and he disappeared into the distance. Yuki sunk to her knees, her head spinning, and Timmy nuzzled her gently. She looked at the creature who stared at her gently and tried to find the words to describe what she was feeling.

"What just happened?" Was all she was able to manage to say quietly.

* * *

"Yuki; you're back! What took you so long?"

Kala had been waiting patiently behind the restaurant for her friend's return, and jumped up happily from her seat by the back door. To be honest, she had been worried ever since Jemma had told her that she had sent Yuki to market alone. Kala knew Yuki was having troubles adjusting to her new life, and she felt partially responsible. She wanted to be there for Yuki and felt very protective of her.

Yuki looked up at Kala with a far-off expression as she approached and Kala stopped short in front of her, looking at her seriously.

"Is something wrong?" She asked Yuki softly, looking at the frail girl concerned.

"Huh?" Yuki looked at Kala as though she had just realized she was there, and then shook her head quickly, "Oh yeah, I am fine! Really I am!"

Kala eyed her suspiciously as Yuki laughed nervously; she could tell Yuki was lying but she couldn't fathom why. Yuki was an honest person and usually told Kala everything and anything that happened to her. She was about to pry more when she was cut short by a loud voice behind her.

"Sweet, you got everything I asked for! Nice work, Yuki!" Jemma came sidling up to the two girls and examined the contents of the cart proudly, running her hand lightly over the large sacks of flour stacked inside.

"Thanks." Yuki said quietly with a half-hearted smile, her shoulders were low and she seemed deflated even after the compliment.

"Come on, cheer up!" Jemma grinned at Yuki and thumped her roughly on the back. "You did good; and guess what? We were having a really slow afternoon so Dad let us close the shop early! We don't have to work anymore today! Ain't that great?"

"Oh yeah, that's good." Yuki's reply was half-hearted to say the least and Jemma frowned at her.

"What's up with you? You're always so chipper; what's with this lame attitude?" Jemma eyed her suspiciously and Kala chimed in,

"What's wrong, Yuki? Did something happen while you were out?"

Yuki glanced at the two nervously, not sure where to begin.

"I…well…I don't really know…" She sniffled, feeling confused. She still hadn't had time to process what had happened in the market and she felt as though she were being pulled apart by all the different emotions she was experiencing. The heaviest of which was disappointment in herself; throughout the whole situation in the market she had been too afraid to do anything. She had trusted a man she had just met and he tricked her. She felt so stupid and hurt that she couldn't even make herself look Jemma and Kala in the eyes. Kala looked at her softly and then moved towards her gently. She wrapped her arms around Yuki's small frame and spoke to her reassuringly.

"It's okay; you can tell us at your own pace. As long as nobody hurt you, it's alright."

Yuki looked up at Kala wide-eyed and then felt tears spring to her eyes; she could feel them coming and yet she couldn't stop them either. She felt so awful and yet Kala was still concerned about her safety. How could she possibly deserve a friend like Kala?

"T-thank you, Kala." She began to cry and burrowed her head into Kala's shoulder. Kala held her gently as she wept quietly and Jemma stood awkwardly nearby. She wanted to comfort Yuki as well, but felt out of place doing so and had no idea where to begin. Kala had known Yuki longer than she had and generally seemed better at dealing with her. Jemma realized she would only be in the way if she were to try and help. With a small sigh, she grabbed Timmy's reigns and pulled him and the cart away to let the girls have their space. She unloaded the supplies quickly and fastened the stall door closed behind Timmy. With one more glance back at the two, Jemma ducked inside the restaurant and left them alone in the alley.

The harder Yuki tried to stop her crying the more the tears flowed from her. She squeezed Kala's arm tightly and looked at her with wide, doe-like eyes.

"I-I'm sorry, Kala…I-I don't know why I am crying…" She sniffled and Kala smiled at her and squeezed her hand.

"It's okay to cry, Yuki; come on." She pulled her gently and led her back towards the restaurant. Kala hugged Yuki closely as she opened the weathered door and ducked inside.

They climbed the stairs and withdrew to their flat, Kala leading Yuki gently the entire way. Yuki sat down gingerly on the sofa as Kala moved to the small kitchen set-up by the opposite wall. She produced a large copper kettle from the cupboard beneath the sink and began to fill it with water. It swished around the metallic container loudly as it was filled and Yuki watched quietly. After the kettle was filled, Kala placed it gingerly atop the stove and turned on the burners. Yuki shifted in her seat silently as Kala began to prepare tea and tried to sort her racing thoughts.

It was silent for a long while as Kala moved about the kitchen and Yuki tried to center herself. She crossed her legs beneath her, folding her hands neatly into her lap as she calmed her breathing.

"Here, take some of this." Kala walked over to Yuki and handed her a steaming cup of tea.

"Thank you, Kala." She cradled the ceramic cup delicately between her fingers and then looked up at her; Kala had settled herself in the armchair opposite her and was quietly sipping her own cup of tea.

"I think I am ready to talk now." Yuki whispered quietly, and Kala nodded at her reassuringly.

She inhaled deeply and then began to recount what had happened that afternoon in the market. Kala listened patiently and remained quiet as Yuki described what had happened. As she concluded, Yuki began to tear up again and she quickly bowed her head.

"I'm s-so sorry, Kala. I can't stop crying, I am so useless. I was just s-scared and c-confused. I couldn't do anything to help myself, and I was tricked. It's my own fault."

"No it's not, Yuki!" Kala moved over to her quickly and grabbed her hands tightly. "What happened to you was upsetting! You shouldn't be ashamed of crying! Any person would have done the same things you did. You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself at all."

Yuki looked at Kala, whose smile turned to a serious expression as she gripped her hands tightly.

"This Jirou sounds like he just wanted to mess with you. He saw you in the way and decided to act like a hero to get you out of there. I don't think he's the type of guy you want to get too involved with. But thankfully you'll probably never see him again, right?"

Somehow that sentence made Yuki's heart only hurt more. She was upset that he had fooled her, for sure; but she also wanted to believe that he really did want to protect her. When she took Jirou's hand and looked in his eyes she had believed that he was a good person, and she couldn't shake that belief. If she never saw him again, she would never be able to prove that he really was good and that she hadn't just believed him out of stupidity.

She remained quiet, however and simply nodded. Kala smiled at her lightly and looked at her gently,

"It's okay, Yuki. I'm here for you, you know?"

"I know." Yuki smiled at her softly and meant it. Kala sat back down across from her and made light conversation obviously trying to keep Yuki's mind off of what had happened. Jemma and the others remained downstairs and didn't disturb them even though it was time for the usual (and rather boisterous) dinner round-up. The two girls could hear the younger children being sequestered downstairs, but nobody ventured up to their flat as was the usual custom. After a while Kala asked if Yuki wanted to go and join them, but Yuki simply shook her head.

"I think I'll go to bed now; I am awfully tired."

"Alright." Kala slipped downstairs and left Yuki alone in the flat. The sudden silence was practically suffocating and Yuki quickly moved to her bedroom.

She pulled her white nightgown over her head and gently pulled out her high ponytail, allowing her long hair to fall freely about her shoulders. The bed groaned as she sat down lightly on the edge of the comforter and she made herself busy with combing her hair. The meticulous and repetitive motion of the brushing helped calm her down and before long she was crawling into bed. She tried to relax and burrowed deep beneath her plush comforter. The darkness began to morph before her eyes and before long she was trapped by sleep.

That night, Yuki dreamed of a man with blonde hair and caramel colored eyes.

* * *

"Feeling better, Yuki?" Jemma smiled up at Yuki from her place in the by the sink in the kitchen. Yuki was gingerly fastening the last clasp on the collar of her dress as she came down the steps and she smiled at Jemma widely.

"Much better, thank you!" Yuki's practically blinding smile was back on her bubbly face and she was like an entirely different person than the one she had been the previous evening. It was a relief to see the usual Yuki again, and Jemma felt herself smiling broadly.

"I'm glad." Jemma looked at her gently biting back any further questions, even though she was dying to know what had set her off. It had taken everything in her power last night to quell her inquisitive nature and remain a safe distance away from Yuki. It wasn't that she wanted to pry; it was just that she reallywanted to know. She was sure Yuki would come clean in her own good time, and as a good friend, all Jemma could do was to wait for that moment. At least that's what she kept telling herself to do. It was another story entirely if she would actually do it.

Yuki finished pulling her hair into a neat ponytail and looked at Jemma expectantly, waiting to be given her daily orders. She stood at attention like a soldier and Jemma couldn't help a small laugh. She grabbed a handful of silverware and napkins and shoved it into Yuki's arms,

"Here you can set the tables."

"Of course; right away!" Yuki cried happily, skipping away to the dining room with her arms full and eyes bright. Jemma watched her go and then returned to the dishes. She plunged her hands into the soapy water as she scrubbed a rather stubborn stain that had worked its way onto a frying pan. Her diligent work was short-lived however as she heard someone behind her, and quickly turned to look obviously happy about any sort of distraction.

Kala rounded the corner and yawned widely, rubbing her eyes tiredly as she walked into the kitchen. Her dress was haphazardly thrown on and it was obvious that Kala had just rolled out of bed. Normally Jemma wouldn't have even bothered with a half-awake Kala, but her curiosity had finally gotten the better of her.

"Did Yuki tell you what happened yesterday? What happened, why was she crying? Was the market too much for her? I shouldn't have made her go; it was my fault wasn't it? What happened?"

Kala blinked rapidly, clearly confused from the sudden onslaught of questions. She waved Jemma away with her hand and moved to get a glass of water from the sink. She took a large gulp before turning back around to look at Jemma who was rocking back and forth on her heels anxiously.

"It's nothing really; she just found herself in a bad situation and some guy took advantage of that. She wasn't hurt physically but…Yuki is easily hurt emotionally. I think it was just a little too much for her, you know, on top of being in a new city and being away from her family. It's a lot for her; but I think she got it all out."

Jemma's curiosity was screaming at her for more details but she tried to restrain herself again. Instead of another question she nodded her agreement and bit her tongue. Kala didn't say anything further and instead began to fiddle with her uniform, noticing how disorderly she looked. She picked up a large soup ladle and looked at her reflection as she began to fix her hair. Jemma sighed and reluctantly went back to the task of washing the dirty dishes. After she had fixed her appearance, Kala moved to the pantry to withdraw the ingredients needed for the day's work. The two of them probably had about another twenty minutes before Shin Woo and Jemma's father kicked them out to begin their own preparations.

In the dining room, Yuki was quietly humming to herself as she set the tables. She had a set pattern now, and moved nimbly across the table much faster than when she had first started working at the restaurant. First the napkin was folded neatly atop the placemat and then the chopsticks were set at a slight angle to it. The fork and knife followed, parallel to each other and exactly an inch away from the edge of the table. It was a set placement, and it did not change. Yuki enjoyed setting the tables, it was planned and everything was perfect. Nothing was amiss and there was no room for surprises or error.

Just then, she heard the tinkling sound of a bell as the front door was swung open roughly. Her back was to the door and she was finishing with a napkin when she called over her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, we're not open yet. You'll have to wait until 9:00."

"Even for me?" The voice made every muscle in Yuki's body freeze in shock, she dropped the knife she had been holding and it clattered to the floor with a large noise. Her heart leapt to her throat as she spun around on her heels, thinking for a split second that she had imagined what she had heard. Her eyes shot wide open as she saw a man leaning in the doorway, as real as the hair standing up on the back of her neck.

Jirou was just like he had been yesterday. A sly smirk was plastered all over his face and his dirty blonde hair framed his twinkling eyes. Jirou snickered at her as she began to babble in complete shock.

"It's…it's … you're…you were…. You…They…" She pressed her back into the table behind her, falling over herself and her words as she tried to process the man standing before her. Yuki slipped and fell to the ground still sputtering in surprised shock. The table scooted loudly against the hard floor as she scooted away from him.

Jirou raised his eyebrows as he tried to suppress a laugh.

"Glad you're happy to see me…I guess?" He chuckled as he strode further into the restaurant and crouched down in front of the fallen Yuki. He raised a hand out to her gingerly and she looked at him wide eyed. He smiled at her softly and his brown eyes sparkled as she tried to find the strength to speak.

"Yuki; are you okay? I heard a crash…" Jemma's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere and Jirou looked towards the back door as she entered the dining room. He smiled and waggled his fingers at her as she huffed indignantly, "Jirou, are you already bored? Can't you at least wait until the place is open before you come around to bother me?"

"Eh, I guess not." He smiled at Jemma playfully who just sighed; Yuki looked back at Jemma with wide eyes and felt her thoughts racing.

_Jemma knows Jirou? But….but!_

"Besides," Jirou stood up now and moved to the bar, "I had to come and see why you sent Yuki here instead of just coming to the raid yourself yesterday."

Yuki's heart nearly stopped in her chest and her jaw dropped as she stared at Jemma in shock. Jemma looked Jirou curiously and then gasped.

"Oh! The raid! I totally forgot about it; that was yesterday wasn't it?" She threw her hands to her face, hitting herself in the forehead as she realized what she had forgotten. Jirou rolled his eyes as Jemma spazzed and began to blabber. "Oh my, that was…And I wasn't… Yuki! I sent you…Oh my…I am so sorry! I should have remembered I was supposed to be there. I knew there was a reason…I just really didn't want to go shopping…Oh and I sent Yuki…Yuki, you poor thing! I should've been there to handle the raid. No wonder you were so upset yesterday! "

Jirou glanced back at Yuki quickly as Jemma spoke, and Yuki felt her cheeks growing warm as the confusion overtook her. Jemma not only knew Jirou, but seemed completely at ease with the thought of the raid. At ease couldn't even describe it…she was a part of it.

She was one of them.

The thought weighed heavily in her gut and she stared at the two of them as they looked at her.

"You know you're cute when you're speechless." Jirou winked at her as he leaned on his elbows against the bar, as she flushed. Jemma smacked him hard on the back of his head and he yelped.

"Stop flirting you dolt! Don't you know you upset her yesterday?" Jemma growled at him as he rubbed the back of his head sorely. Jirou looked to Yuki once again, this time a sincere expression crossing his handsome features.

"I'm sorry Yuki, I recognized the uniform and you were obviously scared. I just had to get you out of there, but I guess I shouldn't have led you on like that. I figured you wouldn't have trusted me if I told you who I was right off the bat."

"And just who are you?" Yuki was tired, and it felt like she had whiplash from all the different sides of Jirou. He stood up slowly and grinned at her wickedly.

"Jirou, the sexiest delinquent leader this side of the Earth Kingdom; I run the Armadillo Wolves, one of the best gangs in Republic City." He stretched out his arms as though he were encompassing his kingdom. With a great flourish he bowed and Jemma rolled her eyes at his display.

"That's my fearless leader; it's hard to believe I am his second in command." Jemma looked at him disappointedly and he smiled goofily at her. She swatted him away as she looked back at Yuki, "I've known this numbskull for longer than I care to admit. He really is this stupid all the time, trust me."

"Hey!" Jirou cried indignantly, obviously insulted as Jemma laughed at him loudly.

"What's going on…?" The curtain was parted as Kala stepped into the dining room, looking around the room curiously. Jemma turned around quickly and Jirou waved at her goofily.

"'Ello there!" He called at her, and Kala eyed him suspiciously and scanned the room quickly, pausing as she saw Yuki still collapsed on the floor.

"Yuki, what happened?" She cried as Yuki picked herself up gently. Yuki looked from Kala to Jirou and didn't know where to begin. Kala followed her gaze and turned her attention back to Jirou, folding her arms tightly over her chest,

"Just who are you anyway?"

"We just went over this!" He cried exasperatedly, "I'm Jirou!"

Kala's eyes opened wide and she looked back to Yuki,

"Jirou? _The _Jirou?"

"Oo, I like that! _The Jirou_; it's got a nice ring to it doesn't it?" Jirou grinned broadly and Jemma shook her head at him.

"Jemma, you know him?" Kala asked incredulously, looking back and forth between them.

"Unfortunately." She sighed. "He's a childhood friend that somehow managed to become my boss."

Kala looked at her confused and Yuki chimed in softly,

"She's a part of the gang too…"

"What?" Kala's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she looked at Jemma wide eyed. Jemma raised her shoulders in a shrug and tried to look innocent.

"What's wrong with that? I was going to tell you guys eventually…"

* * *

**Our chapters just keep getting longer and longer LOL, we're working on keeping them shorter.  
Things are picking up! We finally meet Jirou! And we'll meet many more next chapter :D**

**Fayzee: That's right, my character is a gang member. Be jealous; be very jealous**

**Momo: You Know You Love Jirou, He's My Baby :33**

**M&M: Oh innocent Yuki, she's so confused. Jemma is such a spazz and Jirou's such a playa xD (they do make a pretty good team though)**

**And please please pleeeaasse review! We want your opinions! Anything from saying how much you love it to (constructive) criticism :) If you think our story can be better in someway or you have any questions, feel free to say/ask! We don't bite :D**


	5. Happy Hour

"So your gang was started based off of a joke?"

Kala looked at Jemma and Jirou incredulously, who looked at each other trying to think of a better way to explain it. The four of them, including Yuki, had been talking for a good while now and were seated in one of the booths of the restaurant. It was still a lot to comprehend: the fact that Jirou and Jemma were basically the ringleaders of one of the largest gangs in this district of Republic City.

"Well not exactly a joke…" Jemma tried thoughtfully, trying to calm Kala.

"More like, it was started based on a sarcastic comment." Jirou corrected lazily, balancing a spoon on his nose absentmindedly. As he let go of it and it remained in place, he raised his arms victoriously looking at Yuki with wide eyes to make sure she was looking. Yuki raised her eyebrows confused, and Kala kicked his chair so that the spoon came clattering down on top of the table. "Hey!" He cried.

"A sarcastic comment?" Kala repeated, wanting to know what exactly that meant. Jemma sighed and looked at Kala seriously, preparing for an apparently long tale.

"I've known Jirou since I was easily like five years old. We were buddies since before I can remember, and we'd always play together. Life was rough for both of our families back then…"

Here she paused and glanced at Jirou who was unusually quiet. He was intently focused on the spoon and was refusing to look up as Jemma spoke. Yuki felt a pang in her heart as she was reminded of her own childhood and she looked at Jirou gently.

"Anyways…" Jemma continued sensing the tense atmosphere, "We had to get by with what we had. We looked out for each other, but we found ourselves in a lot of bad situations. The streets of Republic City aren't exactly the greatest places to grow up."

"Yeah, I think we experienced some of that with our encounter with the Triple Threat Triads." Kala said lightly, softening a little as Jemma began to open up.

"You guys ran into the Triple Threats?" Jirou looked at the two girls with an impressed expression as they nodded.

"They were quite impressive with them too." Jemma grinned and Yuki flushed at the compliment.

"Really?" Jirou continued to eye them carefully and they shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"We were talking about _your_gang?" Kala redirected carefully and Jemma shook her head focusing her thoughts.

"Right! So, like I was saying, it was tough for us; and we found ourselves getting beaten up a lot. Shin Woo would get the brunt of it most of the time." She added quietly, glancing back at the kitchen where they could just barely make out the sounds of Shin Woo prepping things for the day.

"We'd try to protect him, but it was hard on him; especially since he can't bend." Jirou said, actually speaking with a serious tone for once.

Jemma nodded and continued,

"One day, after a particularly nasty beat down…Shin Woo…well he jokingly said that we should start a gang." Jemma smiled as she recounted the memory of her younger brother and Jirou cut in.

"What he said was: If we could make something powerful like a gang. We could stop all this. We'd be the ones on top and no one would have to get hurt. I want a group of people who protect…not destroy." Jirou repeated the quote with such conviction the two girls found themselves getting chills. "He was mainly talking out of bitter resentment, though. But his words really struck a chord with me. I thought I could be what he… no what Republic City needed! That's the day I began the Armadillo Wolves."

"The Armadillo Wolves?" Yuki repeated quietly.

"That's the name of our gang. The armadillo's scaly back protects it from danger, while the wolf's sharp fangs are ready to rip apart its enemies. That's basically what we do, defend and protect. We're not like the triads, we mainly raid. All of the things we steal get somehow returned to the poorer people of Republic City." Jemma said thoughtfully.

"Steal from the rich and give to the poor." Jirou sang with a small smile. "I'm basically your modern day Robin Hood." There was not even a hint of humility about him as he grinned at the two girls.

They raised their eyebrows and looked at each other in surprise. When they thought of the word gang, this wasn't exactly what they had pictured.

"Are you guys still mad at me?" Jemma asked sheepishly, looking genuinely apologetic.

"Of course not!" They all looked at Yuki surprised as she spoke, and she flushed crimson, surprised at herself and her sudden outburst. She stood up tentatively and bowed low before Jemma and Jirou.

"I am so sorry! I made assumptions about you and lost my head. I should have known you had your reasons for being a part of the gang." She looked up and her eyes met with Jirou's as she whispered, "I misjudged you, and for that…I am sorry."

Jirou looked at her surprised, and it almost looked as if he was blushing lightly as his caramel eyes met her big brown eyes.

"Oh, Yuki you have to stop doing that! I swear you make me feel weird when you bow like that!" Jemma giggled and got up from her seat. "You don't even have to apologize, silly! All you need to do is give me a hug!"

She spread her arms open wide and smiled brightly at Yuki. Yuki smiled and bounced over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. Kala smiled lightly and Jemma looked to her next.

"Come on, you too Kala!" Jemma laughed and Kala blushed, moving over to join in their hug.

"I'll get in on this!" Jirou grinned wickedly and grabbed all three girls before they could protest. He pulled them close and spun them around in his arms effortlessly.

"Hey! Put us down you pervert!" Jemma laughed as she slapped at him in an effort to make him release them.

"Aw, if you insist." He put them down with a fake pout and chuckled playfully. Jemma kicked at him while Kala laughed and Yuki blushed profusely.

"Is he always like this?" Kala laughed, rolling her eyes at Jirou as he hid behind a chair to avoid Jemma's kicks.

"Unfortunately." Jemma laughed lightly, "You'll get used to it though. Well I mean, you'll have to. He's in here far too much for you not to get used to him. He practically lives here."

"Guilty as charged." Jirou chuckled, hopping up on top of a table casually as he smirked, "And now I have even more of a reason to stop by." He winked at Yuki and she blushed even harder. This time it was Kala's turn to slap him and he pouted looking at her surprised. "Hey, what I do?"

"I'll put up with you being here if I have to; but I ain't letting you corrupt Yuki while you're here. You leave her alone, you hear?" She reprimanded him playfully and he shrugged.

"I'll try my best." He smirked and ducked as Kala tried to slap him again. He darted away as she called after him,

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Guess you'll find out!" He called back, skipping over to the front door. "But for now it's time for me to go! Try not to miss me too much, ladies." He blew them a kiss and ducked out the door before Jemma and Kala could think of a retort.

"Man, he is going to be a handful…I can already tell." Kala crossed her arms and shook her head.

"You got that right." Jemma chuckled.

Yuki wasn't sure what to think of Jirou at this point. Everything he did confused her and she couldn't help being nervous around him; whenever he even so much as looked at her, her heart did cartwheels. One thing she was certain of, however, was that she was actually looking forward to seeing him again.

* * *

"So that'll be a bowl of rice noodles and a side of fried rice?" Kala looked up from her notepad, and the older woman nodded. "Alright, I'll go put it in with the chefs; should be out soon." She smiled at the woman and then headed for the back of the restaurant.

It was the day after she and Yuki had found out about the Armadillo Wolves, and the restaurant was practically empty. Even though it was the prime time for lunch the store was unusually quiet and Kala was the only one who had tables with customers. Yuki was quietly washing glasses behind the bar area while Jemma spun around lazily on a bar stool, clearly very bored. Yuki looked up at her as she passed and smiled gingerly.

"Man, what a slow day!" Kala slipped her last order into the kitchen and then plopped down next to Jemma, who groaned in agreement.

"Maybe it'll pick up soon…" Yuki ventured tentatively trying to be optimistic.

"Yeah, maybe…" Jemma sighed, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.

The three of them were silent for another long minute before Jemma threw her hands up and cried,

"Ugh, this is so boring!"

Almost as if on cue, the front door was flung open violently and all three of them jumped in surprise. Yuki nearly dropped the glass she was cleaning and she scrambled frantically to keep it aloft, using a stream of air to make it hover in place. It spun lightly in the small gale and she quickly plucked it out of the air, pulling it close to her chest protectively.

"Very nice catch, Yuki!" The voice drew her attention back to the door quickly and she flushed brightly as she saw Jirou leaning casually against the wooden doorframe with his usual smirk. He didn't seem to care at all that he was blocking the entrance to the restaurant, and instead relished in being the center of attention. His hand waved at each of them gingerly as he grinned. His long blonde bangs hung in his face and his eyes twinkled as he winked at them. "Did you miss me?" He called.

"It's been one freaking day Jirou, only your gigantic ego missed you." Jemma rolled her eyes at him and he stuck his tongue out at her. "Did you come just to annoy us some more?"

"Not quite." He grinned and then raised his hand higher; he flicked one finger lazily over his shoulder gesturing for someone behind him to follow. Without waiting for a response he entered the restaurant, six other people followed him, almost in perfect sync. They looked like a jumbled mess of different ages and heights, and they all followed behind Jirou without question. It was a rag-tag collection of people, and not a single one of them seemed to share in the delight that was plastered all over Jirou's face. He halted in front of the bar and so did the rest, Kala and Yuki eyeing them all curiously.

"You brought the new recruits here? Why?" Jemma looked at each in turn, and they gave her a curt salute in return.

"Well I thought since you hired new waitresses, and we have a fresh batch of new recruits…it would be the perfect thing for them to meet!" Jirou clapped excitedly at his own idea and Jemma slapped her forehead.

He was like a small child, waiting expectantly for the praise that he would not receive.

"How old are you?" She asked tiredly and he waved her away looking at the other two brightly.

"Yuki, Kala meet the latest additions to the Armadillo Wolves!" He stretched out his arms to encompass the whole group and then began to point at each in turn.

"This is Fai." He pointed to the tallest in the group, a man with closely shaven hair and kind eyes. He smiled at the two and waved.

"…and Anzu…" She was a girl with medium length brown hair with a bright red streak down one side. She didn't even bother looking up at them, obviously bored with the entire ordeal. Her eyes remained on her nails as she picked at them lazily.

"…Nuka…" The small boy jumped at his own name and reminded the girls of a mouse. He squirmed under their gazes and his big eyes darted back and forth, magnified beneath his thick glasses. His dark hair was bobbed short directly beneath his jaw line and contrasted with his pale skin.

"…Hibiki…" This woman seemed far older than the rest of the recruits and smiled at them pleasantly. She bowed her head low, and her beach blonde hair bounced around her face.

"…then there's…Oh, Takashi!" Jirou looked as though he had almost forgotten that the man was there, which Kala looked at him incredulously for. This man was perhaps the most distinctive with snow white hair that framed a face with bright violet eyes. He wore a simple vee-neck shirt that exposed his long neck, which was plastered with intricate tattoos. His arms were also heavily tattooed as he bent over in a low bow, looking at the two girls kindly.

"And last, but certainly not least, we have Miko!" Jirou clapped excitedly as he gestured at the last recruit, who glared at him fiercely in return. She was ridiculously shorter than any of the other recruits and barely reached Jirou's midriff. Her face seemed to be permanently set in a wicked scowl and her hair was done-up in a tall braid atop her head. She had her arms crossed firmly across her chest and clicked her boot heels roughly against the wooden floors of the restaurant, as she eyed Yuki and Kala intently.

"Miko…remember what we said? Smiling goes a long way!" Jirou practically sung as he scolded her playfully; he held up his two pointer fingers to either side of his mouth and mimed for her to change her expression.

"How about I wipe that stupid grin off your face instead?" She shot back icily, and Jirou made a clicking noise with his tongue.

"Tsk, tsk. You'll never make friends with that attitude Miko!"

"Oh yeah?" She looked at him with eyebrows raised, obviously thrilled with the challenge. She thrust her hand out sharply and pointed in the direction of Yuki and Kala, causing them both to jump. "How about them? They're my friends."

Jirou tried to contain his laugh, with a hand place gingerly to his mouth as he corrected her.

"Yeah, that's not really how it works Miko."

"Yes, it is." She glared back, turning her fiery gaze upon Yuki who shook visibly. "You're my friend, aren't you?" Her eyes locked onto to Yuki and she couldn't even begin to stop herself as she began to nod fervently. Satisfied, Miko turned to Kala who gulped and looked around for a way around the question. Finding no such escape, she looked back at Miko who was waiting expectantly.

"Uh…sure…I guess." She said quietly, and Miko beamed turning to Jirou.

"See? I can make friends just fine."

Jirou rolled his eyes and brushed by her, through the crowd of recruits, reaching down to pat her head as he taunted her.

"Looks like the little one can make a friend or two after all..." Kala and Yuki flinched as they saw Miko's veins practically burst from her temple.

"What did you just call me?" She spun around on her heels, shooting daggers with her eyes at Jirou who once again seemed ambivalent. He was absentmindedly poking at Takashi's arm, particularly interested in a tattoo of a dragon on his forearm. Takashi looked at Jirou confused and Miko swelled as she was ignored.

"Jirou!" She practically screeched to get his attention. He looked up at her innocently, like he had no idea what had upset her, and smiled at her sweetly.

"You called, my little dear?"

Miko's small string of control snapped in an instant.

She rushed forward, grabbing Jirou roughly by the collar as she raised a hand to his face, a hand encased in flame. Yuki threw her hands to her eyes, refusing to look as she waited for the collision. Jirou was quicker than he appeared, however, and evaded the blow without even batting an eyelash. He looked completely unconcerned and continued to dodge Miko's blows as they came one after another.

"What's the matter; can't you hit me?" He teased as he bent backwards, back arching as her kick sailed far above him. Miko practically hissed and was about to pounce on top of him before she was grabbed gingerly from behind. Takashi had taken her by the waist and was holding her delicately far above the ground.

"Hey!" She cried, flames erupting wildly from her mouth singing his hands. Takashi remained still however, and didn't even flinch as she kicked at him.

"Like him or not he is still our boss." Takashi spoke slowly, with a slight accent that was difficult to place. Miko turned to glare at him and then back at Jirou who was directing the other recruits to a table nonchalantly. The recruits glanced nervously at Miko as they took the seats Jirou gestured to. Miko breathed heavily, visibly trying to calm herself down.

"Put me down." She finally hissed quietly, and Takashi obeyed, placing her gently back down on the ground. She straightened her outfit with a snap of her hands and then strode to the bar quickly, deliberately bumping into Jirou hard on her way. Jirou was unfazed and gingerly picked a glass off a nearby table. He tossed it at Takashi who caught it mid-air with ease. Kala's eyes widened as Takashi flashed his hand over the glass and the water rose to greet him. The small mass of water quivered as it left the glass and began to glow brightly, completely encasing Takashi's burned hands.

"You're a water bender?" Kala breathed looking at Takashi with wonder, as he smiled at her softly with a nod.

"We've got all types at the Armadillo Wolves." Jirou chimed in happily as he jumped up onto the bar. "From the quiet healer to the savage fire bender…" Here he paused, looking a Miko with a smirk who ignored him.

"Anyone and everyone is welcome!" He spread his arms open wide with a grin, and Jemma rolled her eyes.

"Stop gloating, and get off the counter." She batted at him with a wet towel, forcing him to scamper away. He hopped over a chair and sat down gingerly next to Yuki, who blushed fiercely. She quickly made herself busy washing glasses to avoid conversation, but Jirou seemed content with just staring at her. Yuki looked to Jemma but she had moved off, taking the orders of the new recruits. Kala moved back towards the bar and Miko looked at her sharply.

"So you two are new to Republic City too, huh?" She was obviously still sore from her bout with Jirou, and her tone was extremely unpleasant.

Kala looked to Yuki, who was wide eyed and clearly frightened, and sighed.

"Yeah, we've been here almost three weeks now." She tried her best to sound amicable and friendly, not wanting to set Miko off again. "You are new too?"

"Mhmm, I got here about a month ago." She flicked a coaster angrily off the bar and turned to glare at Jirou again. "Then I joined this idiot's gang soon after."

"Not so much as joined, but declared that you were one of us." Jirou corrected lazily, from his seat as he gingerly handed Yuki her next glass to clean before she could grab it.

"Much to the displeasure of your older brother." Jemma added with a giggle as she came back over, having taken all the orders. Miko snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Who cares about what he thinks? He's an idiot."

"Older brother?" Kala asked tentatively, curious what the older sibling of Miko was like.

"My other second in command." Jirou said with a grin.

"You have two?" Yuki asked curious, looking at Jemma with wide eyes.

"I do all the work though. He's just too flashy to be another member or officer." She said tiredly over her shoulder as she balanced a tray of entrees on her hip. Yuki looked back at Jirou who shrugged.

"That's kind of true actually…but he comes in handy in a pinch…Actually, he was supposed to be here awhile ago, wonder what's keeping him…" Jirou looked back at the front door quizzically, but then went back to playing with the silverware set in front of him obviously having lost interest. Kala frowned at his lackadaisical attitude, wondering just what kind of second in command didn't even bother showing up on time when his boss ordered him too.

Her question was answered with the sound of the front door being kicked open violently. A voice rang throughout the entire restaurant boisterously as they all turned to look.

"Ladies and Gents, please try to contain yourselves. The life of the party, the indescribable, the infamous Shiro _has arrived!_" He was practically singing the last bit as he thrust his arms out in a sweeping motion, encompassing the entire restaurant as if it were his own. He was a surprisingly handsome individual, with deep black hair and sweeping bangs. It fell across his face on one side, and was pulled into a low ponytail at the base of his neck, the end of which dangled lazily at the bottom of his shoulder blades. His entire ensemble was slightly eccentric, with a robe like shirt barely covering his upper-half. It fell open and was loose-fitting, displaying a very well built and muscular chest beneath it. His pants were baggy and fit loosely around a pair of large black boots clasped around his feet.

As he strode confidently into the restaurant, a few of the recruits clapped sarcastically and he grinned at them. Whistling seductively at the female members with a smirk.

"Speak of the devil…" Jemma muttered under her breath and Kala raised her eyebrows, looking at Jirou incredulously.

"_He _is your second in command?"

Jirou grinned at her in response and hopped up from his place eagerly.

"Shiro! What took you so long?" He laughed as Shiro looked up at him with a goofy smile.

"Fashionably late as always; do you expect anything less of me?" He grabbed Jirou by the hand and the two began a very detailed and elaborate handshake that ended with the two chest bumping each other loudly.

"Hell no!" Jirou cried, grabbing his friend by the shoulders proudly. He led Shiro to the bar area and the two sprawled out on the bar stools as if they owned the place. Jemma simply ignored the boisterous pair and moved to serve the new recruits their meal. Miko crossed her arms and turned away from her brother, who ignored her in return, which left Yuki and Kala awkwardly standing at the other side of the bar counter.

The two watched the new comer with fascination as he spoke with Jirou, with almost the exact same smirk plastered on his features. Jirou saw them standing and grinned, gesturing for them to come over. Kala was reluctant but Yuki looked at her and she felt she had no other option. The two of them slipped over reluctantly to the two men as Shiro turned to eye them curiously. His eyes wandered up and down them and Kala felt her cheeks growing warm.

"Shiro," Jirou began, "these are the two new girls Jemma hired. I told you about them, remember? Yuki and Kala" He pointed to each and Shiro continued to eye them, he turned to Jirou and whispered lightly.

"Yeah I remember…I thought they were going to be much hotter though…" Kala's jaw nearly dropped to the floor and she crossed her arms as she looked at him indignantly.

"Excuse me?"

Shiro looked back at her lazily, looking slightly annoyed that she had heard him.

"Excuse you. I wasn't talking to you was I? "

Kala had to resist the urge to slap him across the face,

"Oh no, I guess you weren't. I mean what kind of girl would waste her time talking to you in the first place?" Kala brushed her hair over shoulder with a smirk as Shiro raised his eyebrows. Two could play at this game, she thought. Yuki looked between them with wide eyes and Jirou chuckled lightly.

"You've got quite the mouth, don't you?" Shiro grinned at her, "I like that in a woman. Don't go tempting me like that…we might end up doing more than talking if you catch my drift." Kala's jaw tightened and she narrowed her eyes.

"Only in your sick perverted dreams; because there is no way you're getting a respectable girl in this world."  
Miko giggled from her spot on Shiro's other side,

"I like you more and more each minute! You tell him, Kala!" Shiro shot her look and then looked back at Kala, determination burning in his eyes.

"I can get any girl I want. Just like that." He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point and Kala rolled her eyes.

"I'd like to see you try."

"Oh yeah?" He looked at her and she gritted her teeth together.

"Yeah, go on and try."

Shiro leaned back in his chair and smirked, eyes shifting to the left ever so slightly. Kala realized only too late what he was looking at. In an instant Shiro had hopped up on the counter and had grabbed Yuki by the hand. He lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed it passionately before looking at her with smoldering eyes.

"Hello there, I'm a thief…and I am here to steal your heart." Yuki's face lit up with a thousand different shades of red and Shiro grinned victoriously. He turned to Kala with a wicked smirk,

"See? Nothing to it, when you're this good looking." Shiro's remark was rewarded with three distinct punches: one from Kala, one from Miko, and one from Jirou.

"Youch!" He yelped as he jumped backwards, hopping off the counter and out of range from another attack. He rubbed his sore arms gingerly, grimacing at the three of them. "Hey, what gives?"

"You're an idiot, that's what!" Miko snapped, glaring at him. "Those are my friends you're messing around with!"

"Yeah, how dare you treat Yuki like that!" Kala glared as she pulled Yuki close to her, hugging her protectively. "It's my job to protect her innocence from creeps like you. Come on, Yuki." She led Yuki away with a flick of her long hair and moved to the other side of the restaurant. Shiro stared after her with his mouth wide open. He looked at Jirou for sympathy but Jirou merely shook his head disapprovingly at him.

"What?" He cried, pouting as Jirou turned away from him. He rubbed his arms some more as he moved back to his seat gingerly. Jemma had moved back behind the counter and placed three bowls of noodles down on the counter. As she gave Shiro his bowl she snickered at him, taunting him under her breath,

"Smooth moves, Romeo."

"Shut up." He hissed back, snatching up his chopsticks angrily. She chuckled and moved away from him, as he glared at the bowl of noodles. He lifted the chopsticks gingerly, but before he could even come close to picking up some noodles, the whole bowl seemed to tilt. The soup came rushing at him and in a flash had poured itself all over him; most of the boiling liquid finding itself in his crotch.

Shiro howled in pain and begun to dance around in circles as he fanned himself, tears rushing to his eyes. Everyone erupted into laughter around him as he grabbed a glass of water and dumped it on himself, and he turned to glare around the restaurant.

"Who did that?" He cried as the others tried to stifle their giggles under his piercing gaze.

"Did what?" Kala jeered at him playfully, and he turned to face her fully. "You spilt that onto yourself, nobody touched it." She grinned at him knowingly and there was not a doubt in his mind that she had moved the soup. Kala smirked at him victoriously and he glared at her in return.

"Speaking of noodles..." Jemma suddenly looked at Jirou curiously, something obviously striking her for the first time. "Who's paying for all this?" She gestured to Jirou's bowl of noodles as well as the dozen of dishes that the new recruits were digging into. Jirou surveyed the damage and then chuckled,

"Haha, that's a funny story actually... EVERYBODY RUN!" He bolted from his seat faster than anyone could bat an eye, and the recruits stared at his back dumbly as he breezed by them.

"W-what?" Nuka cried, glancing around at everyone who looked just as surprised as he did.

"JIROU!" Jemma screamed as he threw open the front door. She stomped her feet to the floor causing a tremor to ricochet across the restaurant, but Jirou was already gone. After seeing Jemma's fierce display the recruits finally snapped out of their daze and bolted towards the door as well.

"Oh no you don't!" Jemma screeched as she thrust her hands forward, rocks following close behind the fleeing recruits. They scrambled across tables as they fled safely out the door. Jemma sighed and looked at Yuki and Kala, who had absolutely no idea what was going on. The curtained door to the kitchen opened gingerly and Shin Woo entered eyeing them all suspiciously. He glanced at Jemma's annoyed expression and then down to what remained of the earthen floor beneath her and sighed.

"Jirou was here wasn't he?" He asked tiredly.

"Yes, yes he was." Jemma hissed under her breath as she continued to glare at the front door.

"Right, well...I'll just go back in here." Shin Woo quickly ducked back inside the kitchen, leaving the girls to deal with the aftermath of a visit with Jirou.

* * *

**We had to split this chapter in half because it was so long :O But at least we kept our promise of keeping the chapters nice and short!  
So many characters introduced in one chapter, you'll have to keep track of all of them! (Lol jk, the new recruits only appear every once in a while except for Miko)**

******Vowels: Miko is my character, she's tiny and ferocious, like me!**

**M&M: Momo had to look up pick up lines for Shiro xD**

**Momo: It Was For Research! I Swear!**

**Fayzee: I wasn't very helpful for this chapter...**

**RANDOM FACTS OF THE DAY (We have 2 since we haven't done this in a while):  
A Katara is a type of Indian dagger!  
Avatar is an Indian name that means incarnation of god or the descent!**

**We hope you enjoyed the chapter! And remember to review! We love to hear the opinions of our readers! **


	6. A Game of Shadows

He groaned loudly, scattering the papers that had been placed haphazardly across his cluttered desk as he laid face down upon it. The cherry oak table was full of dust and he quickly shot back up, coughing loudly as he choked on the dust. He stuck his tongue out, grimacing, trying to clear the taste of rotting wood from his mouth.

"Wow that was graceful." A voice taunted him lazily from the doorway. Jirou looked over tiredly, sticking his tongue out at the chuckling visitor.

"Screw being graceful, I'm done with all this paperwork! It's so boring." He whined, flicking a large stack of papers so it slid off the desk and landed with a thud on the floor.

"You've only been working for ten minutes." The man continued as he strode into the room lazily. With a sigh he had plopped into the chair in front of the desk and kicked his black boots up, crossing them atop the desk.

"You kept track of the time? How lame, Jinyoung!" Jirou pouted prodding the soles of Jinyoung's boots with his fountain pen. Jinyoung swatted him away with his hand and then leaned back into his armchair, blowing his long hair out of his face. He had a Mohawk of sorts, with one side of his head shaven short and the other covered in his long flowing black hair. It didn't lay flat against his skull, but was incredibly wavy and bouncy as he shook it. It tapered past his shoulders and he ruffled it gently as he snorted at Jirou.

"Just trying to keep my fearless leader on his toes, Boss." He grinned, sweeping a painted fingernail across his silver lip piercing.

"Instead of giving your Boss sass, I think you should help him by filling out these reports." Jirou said flatly, shoving the blank of sheets at him, and then added with a grin "I mean why else would I have made you a Captain?"

"Maybe because of my charming personality?" Jinyoung offered sarcastically and then looked at the paperwork Jirou continued to shove annoyingly in his direction. He looked up at his leader with a serious expression.

"Do I look like I do paperwork?" He mumbled as he stuck a cigarette in his mouth, lighting it with a flame he produced by snapping his fingers together loudly. As he took a long drag, Jirou continued to pout staring at the long trail of smoke with dead eyes. It rose to the ceiling lazily, in a long swirling design and Jinyoung breathed out a heavy stream of smoke as he exhaled.

"Isn't the reason you're stuck doing paperwork in the first place is because of your own stupidity?" Jinyoung looked at him with a twinkle in his eye as Jirou scoffed.

"I beg your pardon?" He raised an eyebrow and Jinyoung chuckled.

"Well, after you took the new recruits on that not-exactly-paid-for lunch the other day…Haven't you been rather stuck? It's not like you can go and annoy Jemma until she cools down, so you've been stuck at the hideout….with mountains of paperwork to keep you company." Jinyoung closed his eyes and reclined in his chair pleasantly as Jirou shifted uncomfortably.

"Touché." He finally muttered and Jinyoung took another victorious puff on his cigarette. Jirou tapped his pen against the stack of papers with a new found resentment, and Jinyoung hummed quietly as he relaxed.  
In a sudden jerk, Jirou stood up with a clatter, slamming his hands down on the desk.

"That's it!" He yelled, causing Jinyoung to jump, startled by his sudden outburst.

"Yikes, is it that bad? Calm down, why don't you? I was just joking around, jeez…" He tapped the end of his cigarette, ash falling haphazardly onto the wooden floors, and watched Jirou curiously as he began to pace.

"I have been cooped up here too long! It's time for some action! We're doing something big, I mean really big." Jirou grinned as he thought out loud, pacing back and forth, "Jay, who's the richest guy this side of the river?"

Jinyoung rolled his eyes at his nickname and leaned back further in his chair, balancing on the two back legs as he scratched his head. He thought for a moment, licking his lip piercing with his dark tongue subconsciously as he did so.

"I don't know…I guess it would be that guy with the huge place by the legal district…He's got a whole-" Jinyoung stopped as realization struck him, and sat bolt upright. "Hold on! You're not thinking of hitting up his place, are you?"

Jirou didn't answer but grinned broadly leaning on the desk nonchalantly as Jinyoung gawked.

"You're insane, a freaking lunatic." He muttered in disbelief as he stared at Jirou in awe.

"You in?" Jirou asked simply with a smirk, eyebrows rising. Jinyoung sighed and stood up, removing his cigarette from his lips and holding it delicately at his side. Standing up, Jinyoung's lanky frame was very apparent and his long pale arms rippled with muscles. He scratched the back of his head with his free hand and then looked at Jirou seriously. A small smile crossed his lips as he finally spoke,

"Of course, crazy or not I'm riding this train the whole way."

"Now, that's what I want to hear." Jirou thumped him loudly on the back and smiled wickedly, "Then let's go, we've got some preparing to do!" He hurried out of his office quickly, the end of his crimson robe waving behind him as he strode confidently into the heart of the gang's headquarters.

"Whatever you say, Boss." Jinyoung said quietly, replacing his cigarette in-between his lips, a new fiery glint apparent in his smoky grey eyes.

* * *

"Here's your rice bowl; please enjoy!" Yuki beamed at the elderly gentleman, and he bowed his head low in thanks. She mimicked his motion and refilled his cup of tea. She moved towards the back of the restaurant as she watched the green tea leaves steep lazily in the hot water of the copper kettle. The only people occupying the bar at the moment were Kala and Jemma; in fact the only customer in the whole restaurant was the man Yuki had just finished serving. Kala was wiping off the counter absentmindedly with a rag as Jemma lounged lazily in a bar stool.

"Man, I am glad things finally settled down. It was hectic there for a little while…it's nice to get a break even if it's only for a little bit." Jemma looked genuinely relieved at the lack of customers and rubbed her sore feet tiredly. The restaurant had been practically packed for most of the afternoon and they had finally reached a time where the amount of customers had died down.

"But it's good that we had a lot of customers, right?" Yuki asked gingerly as she placed the copper kettle down in the bar.

"Yeah, it is. Don't get me wrong, we want the customers!" Jemma admitted, twirling around on her stool to look at Kala and Yuki. "It's just…I guess I just get tired of doing the same things over and over…I swear I could take people's orders in my sleep now."

"Yeah, I think I get what you mean." Kala smiled at her gently and Yuki nodded in agreement.

"I'm not going to complain about running the restaurant; I've got to look out for my family. I guess, I just need a little excitement too." She mused thoughtfully and looked as if she were about to say more when the door was thrown open loudly. All three girls jumped and turned to look at the front door which was being held ajar.

Jirou smiled at them casually, hands in his pockets as he leaned in the open doorway framed by the sunlight,

"Hello Ladies."

"Jirou!" Yuki cried surprised, it had been awhile since he had come to visit. The last time she had seen him was when he had been running out the door to avoid paying for his meal. Yuki was almost ashamed to say she had missed him. She flushed lightly and looked to see how Jemma would react to his reappearance.

"Well, I guess you count as excitement." Jemma laughed lightly and smiled at Jirou who looked just as confused as Yuki and Kala.

"You're not angry at me?" He asked quizzically, obviously reluctant to enter the restaurant as he was ready to avoid any blow that was bound to come his way.

"Jirou, I know where you live. I'll get my money back one way or another…I'm use to your antics by now." She sighed, clearly having given up on treating him like any other customer.

"Really?" Shiro asked, appearing from behind Jirou with a genuinely confused expression, "That's a first."

"Hey!" Jirou turned to glare at him and Shiro looked at him innocently.

"What? It is! I was expecting her to hit you upside the head or something before she let you off the hook."

"Whose side are you on?" Jirou pouted at Shiro who shrugged, moving past him and going further into the restaurant. He whistled at Kala and Yuki as he made his way to the bar, and Kala glared at him.

"Oh hooray, the sexist idiot is back." She rolled her eyes sarcastically as he approached and he simply smirked at her.

"Missed you too." He waggled his fingers at her and she snorted moving further down the bar as he sat down.

"Did you guys actually do anything during your leave of absence or was I the only one working again?"  
Jemma eyed Shiro suspiciously and then turned to Jirou for an answer.

"Of course they left the work to you. Jirou was too busy being bored to do anything productive." Jinyoung appeared next to Jirou this time, and smiled playfully. Jemma rolled her eyes and Jirou glared at Jinyoung.

"Hey! What is this, pick on Jirou day?" He was obviously offended and Jinyoung patted his shoulder in mock sympathy.

"I'll celebrate that holiday." Kala grinned with a laugh.

"Fine! I see how it is!" Jirou glared at them as they snickered and moved towards the opposite end of the bar. Yuki blushed as he jumped up on the counter next to her and smiled at her,

"I'll just hang out with Yuki. She won't make fun of me."

Yuki blushed as he looked at her innocently and bowed her head to hide her face behind her long bangs.

"Yeah, then good luck on your raid tonight with just the two of you." Jinyoung smiled as he puffed on his cigarette with a smug expression, moving towards the bar.

"There's a raid tonight?" Jemma sat up looking from Jinyoung to Jirou, who tried to hide his smile.

"Way to wreck the surprise, Jay!" Jirou playfully reprimanded him and then snapped his fingers as he realized something. "Oh! You haven't been officially introduced have you, Jay? Yuki, Kala, this is Jay!"

"Jinyoung." He corrected as he stood up from his seat, he bowed curtly to each girl in turn and then smiled.  
"Only Jirou calls me Jay, and I guess he's allowed since he's my boss."

"That and your name is too long!" Jirou cried with a smile as Jinyoung rolled his eyes.

"So you're a member of the gang then?" Kala asked curious.

"A captain actually." Jinyoung rolled up his jacket sleeve to reveal an ornate design embroidered on the sleeve of his shirt, which Kala guessed represented his status as a captain.

"Wow!" Kala said thoughtfully looking at the intricate pattern before he rolled his sleeve back into place.

"He's still beneath me." Shiro cut in, giving a smug expression waiting to be praised. Kala ignored him, however, and Jinyoung snickered as Shiro pouted.

"Good for you, Shiro. " Jemma waved him away as she looked over at Jirou. "Now come on and tell me about the raid!"

"Maybe I don't feel like telling!" Jirou sung like a small child, as he folded his arms across his chest and swung his legs back and forth from his position atop the counter.

Jemma rolled her eyes, and stood up swiftly. She moved over to Jirou and grabbed him roughly by the collar.

"Hey, hey! Go easy on me!" Jirou cried playfully, smiling at her.

"Come on! Just tell me! Who are we raiding?" She pulled him closer and shook him roughly as he tried to ignore her.

"Not telling!" Jirou sung as she whined.

"Come on, spit it out!" Jemma cried shaking him harder as he tried to suppress his smile.

Yuki watched the two play fight and felt a prickling sensation in her gut. She had the urge to pull them apart and felt a surge of anger as Jemma continued to grab at Jirou. Every sense she had was on red alert and she suddenly flushed as she realized what she was thinking. How could she be upset with Jemma? Jemma and Jirou had been friends since they were little; of course they would be close. Jemma could touch Jirou all she wanted; it was Yuki who was the stranger. She quickly made herself busy with the tea kettle as she tried to ignore the turbulent feelings swirling around inside her.

"Oh just let her know fer cryin out loud!" Shiro said exasperated, cutting off Jemma and Jirou's banter.

"Fine." Jirou held up his hands in defeat and Jemma released him, looking up at him expectantly. He smirked, relishing the power he had and drew out the tension for as long as he could.

"Akulitok Suluk." He grinned as he let the name hang in the air and Jemma's jaw fell to the floor.

"Are you crazy?" She cried at last, looking at him with wide eyes full of shock and amazement.

"That's what I said." Jinyoung said bemused as he tapped his index finger against his temple. Jemma looked at him and Shiro, who was seated comfortably against the wall and was flexing his muscles for his own amusement.

"You guys are okay with this?" She asked incredulously.

"A' course." Shiro said simply, smiling at her, "Jirou's the man with the plan!"

Jinyoung nodded his affirmation and Jemma sighed, with only the smallest hint of a smile crossing her lips.

"Who is this guy anyway? What's the big deal raiding his place?" Kala asked, curiosity overwhelming her at last.

"Only like one of the richest guys in Republic City!" Shiro said matter-of-factly to which Kala shot him a menacing glare that silenced any further comment.

"He owns that enormous mansion in the legal district." Jinyoung added, snickering at Shiro who kicked at his bar stool in response.

"That place? But it's so big; and there are guards everywhere!" Yuki cried, recalling the huge fortress from a time Jemma had taken them out to order new supplies for the store. The guards had been clad in brilliant uniforms and had gnarly looking weapons at their side. Jemma had informed them not to make eye contact and to keep their eyes pointed at the sidewalk until they were out of the shadow of the mansion. She couldn't imagine anyone who would want to try to steal from that place, and yet he was sitting right in front of her.

"Exactly!" Jirou cried excitedly, "It'll be our biggest raid yet!"

"And our last!" Jemma cried, slapping him roughly. "You'll get caught for sure!"

"Ouch!" Jirou cried, pouting as he rubbed where she had hit him. "No we won't! We have a plan! Right, guys?" He looked to Shiro and Jinyoung to back him up.

"Yeah, we do! It's really good!" Shiro immediately supported him, but fell silent as Jemma glared at him. She turned her icy stare on Jinyoung next, but he merely shrugged.

"I actually have to admit it's a pretty well-thought out plan for once…" Jemma raised an eyebrow at this, obviously Jinyoung's word had the most credibility of the three of them.

After a long while she sighed loudly,

"Well it seems there is no stopping you…" Before she could even finish her sentence, Jirou was in the air pumping his arms victoriously with a grin. She glared at him as he skipped around the room like a child.

"Alright! It's settled then! Tonight we're going on a raid!"

* * *

"Ugh can we come out yet?" Jirou groaned loudly as he tried to find a comfortable position in the narrow space. He was crammed into a small, darkened compartment with a handful of gang members which included Shiro, Jemma, and Jinyoung.

"I swear Jirou if you complain one more time, I'll have Baro turn this truck around." Jemma hissed at him as she kicked at him roughly. It was hard to aim in the tight space, however, and she ended up kicking Shiro instead.

"Ouch!" He yelped, trying to reach for where she had hit him but only managed to smack another gang member across the face.

"Hey! Watch it, Shiro!" She glared at him venomously from beneath her curly black bangs and started to reach for his neck.

"Haruhi, calm down! It was an accident." Jinyoung looked at the girl seriously and she glared back at him in response. She was dressed in a black leather jacket, beneath which could be seen the intricate golden emblem of another Captain.

"Fine." She muttered as she withdrew her hands slowly, but she quickly snapped out her foot as Shiro chuckled at her. It made a loud crash as her foot made contact with the metal wall and she yelped in pain.

"What is going on back there?" The voice was muffled since it was coming from the other side of the metallic wall, but they could all recognize Baro's apathetic tone. "We're almost there, can't you guys act like supply crates for two minutes?"

The five of them were in the back of a large truck being driven by Baro. They had stolen the delivery vehicle earlier in the day and had made some slight modifications. The back of the truck had been outfitted with a false wall, behind which they were safely hidden.

"We're settling down! You just focus on getting us inside, alright Baro?" Jirou raised his voice so he could be heard through the wall to the man sitting in the driver's seat on the other side. Baro blew his long bangs out of his face and rolled his eyes.

"Alright, alright. Just do me a favor and shut up." Baro waited until he heard the two small knocks in response, meaning Jirou had heard him but would remain silent from now on. He turned his eyes back to the road lazily, knowing the roads of Republic City by heart. The large truck rumbled loudly as he moved the steering wheel back and forth, the large mansion slowly coming into view before him.

The truck rolled to a grinding halt as a guard strode up to the window. Baro rolled down the window and tilted his head at the guard, displaying the bright seal on his fake delivery uniform.

"Just the monthly supplies being delivered." He mumbled looking at the guard tiredly. The guard looked him up and down, lingering on the dark bags under his eyes and his long auburn hair.

"I'll have to ask you to open up the trunk, sir." The guard finally muttered and Baro rolled his eyes. He opened the door gruffly without bothering to wait for the guard to step aside. The guard glared and adjusted his uniform from where the door had brushed him while Baro called lazily over his shoulder,

"Look out for the door."

He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and ambled to the back of the truck. The guard eyed him suspiciously and called over two other guards while Baro hoisted the back door of the truck open with great effort. Once the door was finally opened he stepped aside, allowing the guards a better view, and gestured to it with his hands.

"Knock yourselves out."

The guards pulled themselves into the bed of the truck and clicked on their flashlights. All they could see was rows and rows of crates and boxes. They rifled through some of the nearer boxes and found nothing out of place. Baro fiddled with his shoelaces as the guards inspected the inner recesses of the truck, seemingly unconcerned.

"All clear." The last guard jumped down from the truck and nodded to the others. The first guard looked back at Baro with an icy stare, clearly disappointed that he couldn't convict him of anything.

"Please return to your vehicle while I open the gate, _sir_." His voice dripped with malice and he brushed by Baro swiftly.

"Aye aye Captain!" Baro called sarcastically after him as he moved back to the driver's seat. He sat down gingerly and reached one hand behind him nonchalantly, he rapped his knuckles three times on the back wall and then returned his hands to the steering wheel.

The great iron gates sprung to life and pulled apart as he was waved through. The truck pulled into a luscious courtyard complete with a splendorous fountain and expertly sculpted shrubbery. The mansion was horrifically ornate, with stone gargoyles and intricate architectural details running along its outer walls. The size was gargantuan and Baro had to crane his neck to see all the way to the top of the building.

"Rich people." Baro muttered under his breath as he was directed into a large storehouse, separate from the main estate. He shifted the truck into park and then jumped down from the vehicle. The working crews were still making their way across the expansive storehouse to his truck which gave him just enough time to move to the side of the truck where they couldn't quite see him. He placed both hands against the metal surface and took in a large inhale. The body of the truck erupted into his mind as he closed his eyes and envisioned the metal bottom beneath the truck. His hands pulled apart as he gently ripped open a small hole on the underside of the truck. He smiled and then dug his heels into the ground, sending a small tremor through the dirt floor of the warehouse beneath the truck. He could hear the voices growing closer and he quickly shoved his hands forward, sending the tunnel he created sharply to the right and towards the mansion. He rapped against the truck side quickly and then moved to the back just as the men arrived.

"Are you going to help me unload the truck or not?" He looked at the men indignantly, who looked at him annoyed as he pulled open the back door. He barked orders at them gruffly to make sure their attention was on the crates and not on the five people slipping into the tunnel beneath the truck.

"Nice job, Baro." Jirou whispered to himself as he jumped into the tunnel which, once it widened out, was large enough for all of them to stand up in. Once they were all safely inside Jemma used her earthbending to close up the tunnel entrance behind them. There were engulfed in darkness for only a brief moment before both Jirou and Jinyoung lit flames in their hands. Jinyoung raised his hand high above him so everyone's face was illuminated by the orange glow.

"Come on, let's get going!" Haruhi cried excitedly as she started forward down the tunnel. Jirou quickly stole in front of her, leading the way with his bright flames. Haruhi and Shiro followed close behind, then Jemma, and Jinyoung brought up the rear. They moved quickly down the passage, which was surprisingly long for the short amount of time Baro had to construct it. When they finally reached the end, Jemma moved to the front of the group and pressed her hands gingerly into the roof of the cave.

"We're on the outskirts of the mansion…I can feel the edge of it directly above us." She whispered, straining as she used the ground as her eyes.

"Alright," Jirou whispered, surprisingly serious for once, "We're at the south wall of the mansion…so if you can extend the tunnel about thirty meters, we would be directly beneath the pool room. Should be free of any servants at this time of day."

"Should be, being the key phrase there." Jinyoung muttered quietly from the back.

"Shut up, dude." Shiro glared at Jinyoung as Jemma began to expand the tunnel before them. She kicked boulders out of their way and the tunnel was created before them. Jirou hung behind her closely to illuminate her work, and she didn't even bother trying to avoid hitting him as she performed her task.

"That should be about right…" Haruhi whispered as Jemma stopped in her advancement.

"Onwards and upwards then." Jirou smiled as Jemma punched through the roof of the cave. There was a large crack as the rocks erupted, and a spray of gravel and light fell upon them.

"Real subtle, Jemma. Real subtle." Shiro snickered as Jirou hoisted himself through the hole first. Jemma kicked a rock at him and glared, before Jirou stuck his head back down the hole, offering his hand.

"Coast is clear! Come on, you have to check out this pool!" Jemma rolled her eyes but took his hand and allowed herself to be hoisted up into the cavernous room.

Jirou hadn't been lying about the pool. It was enormous, and the room it was housed in was even more so. It was practically the size of a small lake, complete with a waterfall and hot tub on the far side. The opposite wall was home to several floor-to-ceiling windows with deep russet curtains. There was a vacant bar area adjacent to them and plush furniture for sitting directly in front of them.

"Damn, can we get a pool like this for the hideout?" Shiro whistled as he crept up next to Jemma. She slapped him on the back of the head and hissed at him,

"If you don't quiet down, we'll be caught and you won't even have the hideout!"

"Sorry!" He whispered apologetically, as he clasped his hands around his mouth for good measure.

"Come on, let's get going!" Jirou cried softly, as Jinyoung pulled himself into the room. Jemma sealed the hole behind them as they trotted to the exit on the far side of the room. The water lapped against the side of the pool as they crept quietly and flattened themselves against the wall. Jirou stole forward towards the door and dropped down to a crouch. He looked around at everyone before gently pushing open the door with his fingers. Shiro's hands went to his dual swords and Jinyoung sparked in anticipation.

Jirou stuck his head out of the door tentatively and surveyed the hallway. He motioned over his shoulder that it was all clear and then signaled them to follow. They fell into line behind him, moving swiftly and silently down the corridor, hearts racing as one.

Jirou moved swiftly, and his head was on a constant swivel looking for guards or servants. All of their senses were on high alert and their muscles were coiled and ready to launch into sudden action. Jirou suddenly dropped to the ground and rolled behind a planter and the rest of the gang scattered. Shiro ducked into a nearby doorway and Jemma pressed herself flat against a bookcase, while Jinyoung and Haruhi managed to squeeze themselves into two hallway plants. They all held their breath as the footsteps neared and their heartbeats quickened. The elderly servant passed by them swiftly, cradling a tray full of tea as he trotted down the hall. Only after his footsteps had disappeared did Jirou make a low clicking sound and they all withdrew from their hiding spots. Jirou checked the status of his crew of misfits before once again taking the lead.

They continued through the mansion like this for a good twenty minutes, alternating between moving swiftly and hiding fervently. Jemma's heart was pounding in her chest and she kept her eyes fixed on Jirou, waiting for them to be discovered at any moment. She couldn't help but feel as though they were being watched and that they had been discovered. She shook the thought away and chalked up the feelings to simple nerves and continued on the raid silently.

Little did she know, they had been. Not that any of them had noticed him.

He had been curled up in his favorite hiding spot behind one of the curtains in the pool room when they had entered. At first, their presence had severely startled him and he had remained hidden out of fear. But as he had observed the rather charismatic crew, he couldn't help but to be intrigued. He had slipped from his spot and shadowed them carefully as they moved throughout his home. Sneaking around the maze-like hallways of his house came naturally to him, as he had been doing this practically all his life. All he had known were the walls of this great estate, and the overwhelming loneliness they brought with them.

And yet here was something new, five of them to be exact.

Jirou suddenly motioned for his crew to stop, which they did immediately, as did their silent stalker from a good distance behind them. With a quick motion, Jirou gestured to the ornate door adjacent to them and their follower bowed his head in disappointment.

There was no way they would be able to steal from his father's study without tripping an alarm, at least not with the way they had been moving through his house. He had already had to divert two servants from their path, and it looked like it was his turn again to keep them from being caught. He glided silently, moving quickly down the parallel hallway that led to the far side of his father's room. He gingerly moved a tall free standing vase from its spot and clicked open the hidden panel with a quick jerk. It slide from its bearings and revealed an array of switches and he quickly threw them all into the off position. He held his breath and pressed his ear to the door, waiting. As he heard them open the other door, and no alarms to greet them, he breathed out a sigh of relief. His work was done, for the moment. He slid down to the floor and crossed his arms over his legs as he listened intently to their hushed chatter from the other side of the door.

"Aw man, look at this clock!" Shiro giggled as he held up the golden timepiece with care, examining its crystal face and gleaming hands.

"Shiro just put it in your bag! We've got to get moving, Baro is waiting for us!" Jemma hissed at him as she stuffed a fountain pen and large tome into her bag.

"We hit the jackpot!" Haruhi squealed excitedly as she stuffed more and more glittering objects into her bag.

They quickly continued to stuff valuables into their respective bags until they were filled to the brim. With looks of satisfaction, they turned to Jirou who looked over their loot with glee.

"Awesome, let's get out of here!" They moved towards the door they had entered but Jirou lingered behind. Jemma turned to look at him bewildered, vowing to kill him if he had suddenly gotten cold feet, but Jirou had the most curious expression on his features. He smiled at her lightly and pressed a finger to his lips as he slowly started to creep backwards. The others turned to look back at Jirou now too but they all remained silent as they were ordered. He continued to move backwards until he was pressed against the opposite wall, and only then did he gingerly lift up an arm to the well-concealed door next to him. Jemma's eyes were wide, the door matched the wood paneling almost perfectly and she hadn't even noticed it until Jirou had flung it open in a sudden jerk.

There was a small cry as someone tumbled backwards into the room. They had been clearly sitting on the other side of the door and had been caught off guard when Jirou had suddenly pulled the door open. Before they could collect themselves, Jirou's foot was pressed roughly on top of their chest and they were pinned to the ground with hands held up high in surrender. Jemma and the others rushed forward to get a better look as Jirou smiled proudly at his prize.

The man on the floor looked up at the five of them with fear filled eyes. He had surprisingly long black bangs that hung in his face and concealed his handsome features. His lips were pale and drawn together in a tight line as they quivered, and his long lashes danced above his eyelids. The dark blue color of his eyes shone out brightly from beneath his curtain of hair and his eyes darted from each of their faces as he cowered. The ends of his hair dangled just past his collar bone and clashed with the pale blue tunic he was wearing. The outfit fell around his frame baggily because he was extremely angular and petite. There was nothing muscular or masculine about him, he looked frail and delicate with a certain porcelain-like quality that reminded Jemma of a doll.

"How long have you been following us?" Jirou asked quietly, to which the man's eyes opened even further in surprise. He whimpered quietly and his voice was hardly a whisper.

"Are you going to kill me?"

Jirou rolled his eyes and removed his foot from the man's chest and extended his hand towards him.

"Naw, I don't make a habit of hitting girls." He grinned, and the man flushed a brightly as he spluttered in confusion; looking at Jirou's extended hand fearfully, refusing to take it.

"I-I'm not a girl t-though!"

"She looks like a girl to me." Shiro chuckled and grinned down at the now scarlet man.

"Yeah, I think she's a girl." Jirou agreed with a huge grin.

"Oh cut it out you two," Jemma rolled her eyes at them, with a scowl. "We don't have time for this. Leave _him_alone!"

"Not until _she_, answers my question." Jirou looked from Jemma to the man who gulped.

"I-I've been following y-you s-since you g-got in the house." He whispered, lowering his eyes as he did so, drawing into himself in fear. The group looked at each other in surprise, but Jirou simply whistled and nodded his head approvingly.

"Pretty light on your feet, ain't cha? You've got a real talent for sneaking."

"I-I guess so?" The man seemed to be growing more confused and anxious by the minute, and withdrew visibly as Jirou crouched down in front of him. He sat upright and scooted backwards, but jumped as he ran into Jinyoung's legs. His head spun around fearfully as he realized he was completely surrounded.

"What's your name?" Jirou asked gently, directing the man's attention back towards him. The man eyed him for a long while, mentally weighing out the consequences if he were to reveal that information. After a long silence he bowed his head and sighed.

"Qilaq." He whispered quietly, eyes focused on his hands that were clasped gingerly in his lap.

"Qiqi, it is then!" Jirou grinned and jumped back up to his feet with a laugh. "Qiqi is a pretty name for a girl like you!"

"Eh? B-But I'm not-"

"Don't interrupt me, Qiqi! I have a proposition for you!" Jirou chuckled at Qilaq lightly who cringed visibly as he was hoisted to his feet by Shiro and Jinyoung. Jirou strode over to him and prodded him in the chest with his finger as he spoke.

"You seem to know your way around here, there's probably some sort of secret exit in this place, right?" Qilaq said nothing, but his eyes shone brightly and that was all the conformation Jirou needed to continue.

"You shall lead us there…in return we'll forget that you saw us and let you go scot-free. Pretty nice deal, huh?"

Qilaq looked at Jirou with a puzzled expression and then looked around at the others, who waited for his reply. There was once again a long silence and Jirou tapped his foot impatiently on the floor.

"O-okay." Qilaq finally whispered to which Jirou grinned broadly. He clasped him firmly around the shoulders, causing Qilaq to quiver, and then gestured toward the door.

"After you!"

Qilaq hung his head and shuffled to the door, as silent as the grave. Jemma understood how he had evaded their detection up until this point; he was literally like a shadow. The door glided open gently beneath his touch and he slipped into the hallway without so much as a backwards glance. Jemma looked at Jirou concerned, but he simply waved at them to follow as he slung his bag over his shoulder and trailed behind Qilaq.

They moved throughout the extensive mansion much more swiftly this time, since Qilaq seemed to know every nook and corner of the place. They hadn't run into a single servant, and the routes they were taking were well concealed and obviously unused hallways. Qilaq's long hair flared out behind his head and covered his face in shadows whenever he turned to make sure they were keeping up with him, which admittedly was hard to do. Jemma was still wary of the man but she couldn't help but to be intrigued. If he had been following them since they entered, how come he hadn't told anyone about them? Although he had seemed skittish, he hadn't been completely opposed to helping them either.

She eyed him with more scrutiny as they continued on their way, her gaze lingering on his clothes. The fabric was silken and looked expensive, definitely not the clothing of a servant. In fact, everything about him had a certain air of royalty to it. The way he walked was somehow more refined and his features were well sculpted and defined. Jemma frowned at the enigma leading her rag-tag group of friends. He was clearly someone who lived in this mansion, but she had never heard of Akulitok having a son. From what she had researched, the reclusive man was entirely alone in this behemoth of a house.

So who exactly was Qilaq?

They had snuck across the entire width of the mansion at this point, and had now reached the large back doors. The glass paneling revealed the lush courtyard and Qilaq pried them open gingerly, he stuck his head out quietly and then withdrew back inside.

"The gardener is outside." He whispered fervently, turning to look at Jirou with wide eyes.

"Then get rid of him." Jirou said lazily, pushing him back towards the door. Qilaq looked at him wide-eyed but couldn't defend himself as he was pushed out of the door roughly. Jirou crouched down and they all pressed in close to observe Qilaq as he shuffled nervously to a nearby hedge. From this angle they could make out the elderly gentleman who was stooped over the roses, but were concealed from his sights. Jinyoung pushed the door open wider just in time to hear Qilaq's faint

"Excuse me?"

The gardener lifted his head annoyed and then jumped back in surprise. He was obviously extremely flustered by Qilaq's presence and whipped off his hat before falling into a low bow.

"Young master Qilaq! Excuse me please, I didn't hear you approach. Am I in the way?" He was practically sweating from his obvious nerves and Qilaq shifted uncomfortably as the man continued to bow apologetically.

"Young master?" Haruhi whispered curiously, but was quickly hushed by Jirou who was obviously enjoying the discomfort Qilaq was in.

"No-no, it's perfectly alright…" Qilaq spoke finally and the man seemed to relax visibly. "I just…my father wanted you to work on the front courtyard…he said the roses were too wild out there."

"Oh but of course!" The gardener was bright red and hastily grabbed for his tools. "I'll get started right away!" He bowed once again to Qilaq before sprinting off towards the front of the home. Qilaq sighed and felt his stomach twist from the lie he had told. He watched the gardener disappear around the edge of the house before he was clasped roughly on the shoulders. He gasped and spun around to see a grinning Jirou mere inches away from his face.

"So you are Akulitok's son after all!" He beamed and Qilaq felt his face grow warm. The others behind Jirou were wide-eyed and were looking at him intently. He lowered his eyes and mumbled.

"Y-yes I am."

* * *

**We had to cut this chapter short... again LOL, it was getting really long, so sorry for that cliff hanger  
But we finally meet Qilaq! All of our main characters have been introduced! And there's also Jinyoung, Baro and Haruhi, the captains of the Armadillo Wolves :D**

**Fayzee: Yes! That little shadow creature is mine ;p**

**Momo: There We Are, No Story Is Complete Without A Good Old Fashioned Mansion Raid!... Or At Least No Story With Jirou Is.**

**M&M: When things get tough, you need some fluff :D**

**(NOT SO)RANDOM STORY FACT: Even though it's hard to believe, Jirou's gang does indeed have some structure to it. The position of Captain is one such structure! There are three Captains in the gang: Jinyoung, Haruhi, and Baro. They all have their respective roles and will appear from time to time throughout the story. It's hard workers like them that actually keep the Armadillo Wolves running smoothly!**

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and remember to be awesome and give us a review :)**


	7. Kidnapped

"You've got to be kidding me."

Haruhi was the first to speak and Qilaq flushed as she stared at him intently from beneath her curly, black bangs. She glared at him incredulously and he shifted uncomfortably on his feet as he visibly made himself smaller under her gaze. Her eyes were like daggers and her obvious disdain for Qilaq was apparent. Her voice was like a coiled snake and her words stung as she began to speak.

"This scrawny introvert is the son of one of the richest men in Republic City?" Haruhi diverted her icy gaze from Qilaq momentarily to the others around her in obvious bewilderment. She dared them to contradict the statement, wished for them to do so in fact. There was no possible way she was just going to accept that fact. The others were just as surprised as her, however, and simply continued to eye Qilaq intently. There was a long awkward silence as Qilaq quivered under the many sets of eyes turned upon him. Dealing with people had never been his specialty, especially when those people with scrutinizing his very existence. Jinyoung was the first one to come to break the silence and shook his head with a soft whistle.

"Man, I didn't even know Akulitok had a kid." He mused in disbelief, ruffling his long hair unconsciously as he stepped closer towards Qilaq. He circled him slowly, sizing him up for seemingly the first time, and Qilaq lowered his head finding a new found interest in his own feet. He squeezed his eyes shut and silently pleaded for the eyes to stop staring. He couldn't take being the center of attention, having the spotlight shown on him only made him shrivel and collapse upon himself. Jinyoung stopped his circling and bent over slightly so he could look up at Qilaq's face. Qilaq could sense his proximity and opened his eyes warily, heart pounding as Jinyoung's grey eyes looked him over. He wasn't like Haruhi and had a much gentler expression but was still eyeing Qilaq intently.

"Not to mention a daughter who is inclined to helping thieves rob her own home." Shiro added with a sly smirk which only made Qilaq more uncomfortable and a brighter shade of red. Jinyoung snorted and straightened himself, and Qilaq quickly looked back to his feet.

"Son." Jemma corrected icily, obviously not amused with Shiro's weak attempt at humor. She glared at him angrily and Shiro shuffled away from her with a pout. He had only wanted to lighten the mood a little, but it seemed his humor was ill-timed.

"Actually, that's a good point!" Haruhi cried turning back upon Qilaq in a swift motion, eyes smoldering as she lunged at him. He jumped visibly but was helpless to stop Haruhi as she grabbed him roughly, pinning him against a nearby hedge. There was a muffled cry as he closed his eyes and she seized him by the collar roughly, knuckles turning white as she clenched them together tightly. In a flash, she had withdrawn a dagger from the folds of her leather jacket and had pressed it lightly to his throat.

"Why are you helping us? What's your angle, huh? Why didn't you squeal to Daddy already?" Her eyes bore into him as the steel of the knife glared in the sunlight. Qilaq whimpered helplessly and stared at her wide-eyed with fear. The small thorns on the shrubbery bit into his exposed skin and his footing was far from secure as Haruhi shoved him further into the bush. Qilaq's biggest concern was the knife however and he couldn't seem to keep from staring at it. Whatever explanation that had formed in his head, died on its way to his mouth as the weapon gleamed in front of him.

"Haruhi cut it out!" Jinyoung was at her back and with a swift motion and grabbed her by the shoulder. She didn't even bother a glance sideways and merely rolled him off of her with a flick of her arm.

"Not until he answers my question!" She hissed dangerously, eyes' never straying from Qilaq's terrified features for an instant. Her gaze was suffocating and Qilaq had never been so frightened in all his life.

"Well, anyone would have trouble answering you with a knife at their throat." This time it was Jirou who spoke and Haruhi glanced back at him in surprised. His tone was surprisingly serious and he strode over without a hint of hesitation. She made no move to argue with him but she looked back at Qilaq with a glare, avoiding looking back at Jirou who had stopped short behind her. He stood there for an instant within a hair's breadth of her, arms folded casually in his pockets. Haruhi remained with eyes plastered ahead of her, but instead of glaring at Qilaq she just seemed to be avoiding looking directly at Jirou.

"Let him go, Haruhi." Jirou whispered softly causing her to exhale slowly, closing her eyes. Her nostrils flared as she tried to tame her rage and her eyes slowly opened again. The muddy hazel color of her irises swirled for an instant as an array of emotions passed through her. Qilaq watched the anger flash in the front of her eyes as she gave him one last hardened look and he gulped. The knife was withdrawn from his throat in a fluid motion and Qilaq released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. The weapon vanished beneath Haruhi's clothes once again and her black curls bounced as she turned on her heels slowly. She gave Jirou a sideways glance and then shoved him roughly aside. The others withdrew as she approached them, obviously wary of her temperament.

"He still hasn't answered my question." Haruhi spat over her shoulder as she moved to stand next to Shiro and Jemma, who tried to draw as little attention to themselves as possible. Jirou looked at Qilaq who was avoiding his gaze, seemingly brushing off the twigs and leaves from his clothing. He attempted to spend as much time as possible removing the thorns from his hem so as to avoid Jirou.

"Well?" Jirou asked quietly to which Qilaq raised his head slightly, eyes swimming. He glanced around nervously at the people awaiting his answer and nervously began to pull at his tunic. His voice was hard to find and he cleared his throat lightly in an attempt to make conversing easier. The lump in his throat only seemed to double in size.

"I- uh…w-well I…I-I didn't want you to get caught…" He finally managed to stammer, avoiding Jirou's gaze as he wrung his hands nervously. He knew it was a stupid answer, but it was all he had. It was the truth. When he had seen the rag-tag group of intrepid explorers enter his home, he couldn't help but empathize with them. There was something about their lackadaisical attitudes and demeanors that attracted him like a bee to honey. He hadn't wanted them to be caught, and it certainly didn't want them caught now. That was his answer and all that he had. He waited for the onslaught of questions and accusations. Why should they believe him? He was the son of royalty; by all means he should have some ulterior motive for helping them. They were from a completely different world from him. The two factions should have never have met, and yet here they were face to face. Of course things could not end well.

"Well, that answer works for me!" Jirou's wholehearted cry and reassuring pat on the back was far from expected and Qilaq practically choked. His head shoot up and his eyes were the size of saucers. He looked at Jirou incredulously with mouth slightly agape.

"What?" Both he and Haruhi asked in utter disbelief at the same exact time. Jirou looked at the two innocently with a small smile playing across his lips. He turned his head lazily to raise an eyebrow at Haruhi, who fumed under his smirk.

"You are just going to buy that? That was the stupidest answer I've ever heard!" She glared at Jirou who waved her off with his hand.

"Look, if Qiqi had wanted to sell us out he would have done it by now! And besides, I don't think he's that type of person." Here he paused and smiled at Qilaq who stared at him in bewilderment. Jirou winked at him and Qilaq flushed brightly which only made him chuckle.

"As I said, his answer works for me." He continued as Haruhi folded her arms tightly across her chest indignantly, "Besides, I don't have the attention span for a longer explanation. And we really don't have the time for one either, we need to get back to Baro. So unless there are any other objections, I think we should be getting out of here."

He looked around at each of them in turn, daring them to object to his proposition. It was a rather dumb thing to do since he was the leader, which meant his word was absolute. Haruhi didn't look pleased in the slightest but seemed to be holding her tongue for the time being. The boys were never ones for arguing with Jirou in the first place and didn't seem to be openly opposed either. All that remained was Jemma, and Jirou looked at her with a small smile daring her to contradict him.

"You're right, _for now_Jirou." She said tiredly, eyeing Qilaq cautiously. She didn't fully trust him, but she could definitely see where Jirou was coming from. He didn't seem to have any evil intent and wasn't that much of a threat in the first place. Jemma was slightly intrigued by Qilaq anyway, but was much more concerned with getting out of here and fast. "Let's just get going."

Jirou beamed and clapped his hands together excitedly, obviously pleased with the lack of opposition, although he was hardly surprised at the outcome. He spun around on his heels swiftly and Qilaq jumped as his attention returned to him.

"That settles it then! After you, my dear Qiqi!" He chuckled, grabbing him firmly by both arms. Qilaq trembled as he was pulled around roughly and shoved into the center of the group by Jirou. He looked around at all of them, unable to believe that they had accepted him so easily. His heart was pounding in his chest and he looked at each of them in turn, with wide eyes. Jinyoung and Shiro flashed him two pairs of thumbs up and he stared at them blankly in return. Haruhi was avoiding his gaze and Jemma's gaze seemed to pass right through him. He gulped and looked back at Jirou who simply nodded at him with a knowing gaze.

Qilaq took a deep breath and tried to center himself. His mansion loomed behind them impressively, but it had never seemed so empty. The windows stared back at him blankly, like the lifeless eyes of a doll and he could practically feel the empty rooms within. The well maintained grounds of the garden suddenly seemed to lose their grandeur and wealth as he stared at them. He looked back up and felt something new stirring inside him. He couldn't help but look around and feel a new sense of courage by looking at their faces. His life played out before him in his mind and it was as if he were truly living for the first time. The others stared back at him expectantly and Jirou mimed for him to take a step forward.

"T-This way." He finally whispered turning back around to lead them away from his home. Qilaq put one foot in front of the other, and felt his old life shrinking behind him as he showed his new comrades the way out and away from his own personal cage.

The garden blurred past them even faster than the mansion did. It was like a jungle, but without a single soul inside of it. The bushes and trees were somehow lifeless, and Qilaq moved like a specter through them. Within minutes the high stone perimeter fence roared into view and with it came a sense of excitement. They were so close to being home free.

Qilaq moved expertly across the large brick pathway that framed the outer edge of the gardens and moved as silently as ever. They neared the wall and Qilaq kept himself close to it, tracing the rough stones with one hand as he looked behind him to make sure everyone was still following. They all trailed behind him carefully and he felt a surge of confidence as they looked to him for direction. A large creeping ivy worked its way diligently across the aging stones and Qilaq pulled the vines away with ease.

There was a small gust of wind, like an exhale of breath, as the hidden passage was revealed.

"Whoa, would you look at that!" Shiro was at Qilaq's back in an instant with a hand placed gingerly over his shoulder which made him jump.

"Now that's an exit!" Jirou grinned, pulling the vines further apart so as to have an unobstructed view down the narrow passage. It was just wide enough for them to go through it single file, and the stones were a deep black color that glistened in the dim light.

"I-it's not very long…and leads right past the perimeter…" Qilaq whispered trying to slip out of Shiro's grip nonchalantly.

"Hey, you're not going anywhere Qiqi! You're coming with us." Shiro grinned clasping Qilaq roughly by the shoulders and shoving him along in front of them. He stumbled into the passage and whirled about to stare at them all incredulously.

"W-what?"

"Oh, well I thought it was obvious," Jirou chuckled looking at Qilaq with a wide, devilish grin.

"You're coming with us."

"I am?" Qilaq stuttered.

"He is?" Haruhi asked Jirou incredulously, jaw hitting the floor.

"Well, we can't just leave him can we?" Jirou looked back at the others innocently. Jinyoung threw up his arms and just chuckled.

"I give up…I can't keep up with all this…I'll meet you guys at the truck." He chuckled halfheartedly as he pushed past them to start down the tunnel before anyone had the chance to argue with his decision. They all stared after his lanky figure and listened as his footsteps faded into silence.

"See?" Jirou grinned, "Jinyoung agrees with me!"

"No I am pretty sure he just gave up on trying to understand your insanely convoluted thought process." Jemma rolled her eyes, feeling the same emotions washing over her. "Can we just get going?"

"Aye, aye!" Shiro grinned goofily and moved for Qilaq.

"Hey!" Qilaq shrieked as he was grabbed awkwardly around the waist. Shiro laughed as he flung Qilaq over his shoulder and turned to Jirou who nodded approvingly.

"It's alright, Qilaq. You're just experiencing a kidnapping, you'll get used to it." He patted Qilaq with fake reassurance as the man spluttered, and then signaled for everyone to follow him down the passage.

Qilaq couldn't argue very well from his position, and he wasn't all that happy about it either. He pleaded with them frantically but they all simply ignored him. His heart was racing and he tried desperately to right himself so he could at least see where they were taking him, but Shiro's grip was firm. He was forced to hang limply like a ragdoll as he was carried away from the life he knew.

"Who's that?" The apathetic voice was unfamiliar to Qilaq and he didn't recognize it but he figured they were referring to him.

"Akulitok's son." He heard Haruhi say annoyed and then the slamming of car door. Shiro had stopped and Qilaq guessed the others' had too, but they were all behind him. He struggled even more desperately to turn himself around.

"Huh…" It was the apathetic voice again, "and why did we decide to keep him?"

"Jirou." Shiro and Jemma answered in unison.

"Ahh." Was all the apathetic person said in response.

"Enough chit-chat, Baro! Let's get going!" Jirou cried excitedly as there were more sounds of movement.

"Where should I put him?" Shiro asked, and Qilaq sighed exasperated.

"He can sit up front with me and Baro!" He heard Jirou say happily. He was quickly turned around and lost his bearings until he was deposited roughly into the front cab of the large truck.

"Don't mess up my truck." Qilaq looked over at the owner of the apathetic voice, surprised to see him sitting beside him. Baro's long auburn hair hung in his face, and his eyes were glassy as he eyed Qilaq with little interest. His long pale fingers were draped over the steering wheel casually, and tapped his fingers impatiently as he waited for the other members to settle into the truck.

"Don't worry, Qilaq's cool!" Jirou smiled reassuringly, and Qilaq jumped as Jirou slapped him reassuringly across the back with his hand. He was pressed in between the two males and he couldn't help a small whimper as Baro started up the truck with a flick of the ignition switch.

He couldn't even imagine where they planned to take him next.

* * *

**Woo****! We were able to get the first part of the chapter out! (M&M and Momo have been productive during their LA class :D)**

**Sorry again for the very long hiatus, Life just happened to kick itself back in our faces, so writing has kinda slowed down. Chapter 7 has been split into 2 shorter chapters so we can update faster, cause we think you guys have waited quite a long time for our post. **

**We don't know exactly when we'll be able to post the next part, but we promise to upload it as soon as its written and edited!**

**Thank you all who have been patient with us! We love all of you! \(^3^)/**

**-What will the "kidnapped" Qilaq do now that he's in the hands of the derpy Armadillo Wolves? What do they have in store from him? Stay tuned for part 2 and find out!-  
**


	8. Expanding Framework

The glassware squeaked loudly as the wet rag glided across its sleek surface with sharp precision. Her long nails just barely brushed against the smooth glass, making a small clinking noise whenever she grasped for the next glass. Although her grip was delicate she was still fearful that the crystalline challises would shatter in her grip, and she handled them with the utmost care. She cradled each with ease and each movement was carefully calculated and deliberate. The stack of finished glasses was quickly exceeding the one of glasses yet to be finished and she realized just how much time had passed since she had started her chore. With a small sigh she placed the last glass into its spot beneath the counter and then straightened. With a yawn she reached her hands above her head in a tired stretch, finally allowing the days exhaustion to catch up with her. Before she could fully appreciate the satisfaction of a job well-done, however, there was a tremendous crash. Yuki practically jumped out of her skin and grabbed the counter tightly as she looked around quickly. It took her a minute to realize the noise had come from the front door of the restaurant, which had been thrown open in an incredibly violent fashion.

"It's okay, Yuki! It's just us…" The tired voice belonged to Jemma, and the moment Yuki saw her she relaxed visibly. However her relief quickly turned to concern as her gaze wandered to Jemma's face. The girl looked incredibly exhausted and a little worse for wear, not to mention she was carrying a knapsack that seemed to be incredibly heavy and filled to the brim. She was being followed closely by some other figures and Yuki felt her heart skip a beat as Jirou smiled at her from his place at her side. Jinyoung was on Jemma's other side and behind them were two people Yuki didn't immediately recognize. Yuki assumed they were other members of the gang she had yet to meet and bowed respectively after she darted around the counter tentatively.

One of them was a man with an incredibly angular build and dark, auburn hair that hung in his face. His eyes seemed dead and far-off, with deep bags hanging beneath them, reminding Yuki of a skeleton. He hadn't seemed to see her gesture, in fact, it didn't seem like he was aware of anything around him at all. His pupils were focused on some far off point in the distance and he didn't seem intent on returning to reality anytime soon.

The other person was a fierce looking girl with curly, black hair that reached all the way down to her lower back. She was a good few inches taller than Yuki, and had her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her leather jacket was a dark black to match her hair and looked like it had seen better days. The girl glowered in Yuki's direction and Yuki gulped. Within an instant she had lowered her eyes to the floor, afraid of the piercing gaze and the girl's unspoken power.  
"H-How did the raid go?" She asked lightly, trying to make conversation nonchalantly. Yuki hoped they couldn't hear the tremor in her voice; they had been the only thing on her mind all afternoon, and words couldn't describe how happy she was to see them all here, unharmed. She could feel Jirou moving towards her before she looked up and saw his bright, caramel eyes. Her cheeks reddened and she tried not to stare as he stopped short in front of her.

"It went amazingly!" He cried delightedly, a smile practically engulfing the entirety of his face. His long blonde bangs tapered just above his eyes and reflected the gleam of satisfaction buried permanently into his pupils. Yuki couldn't help but smile in return in the presence of such enthusiastic excitement.

"Yes, surprisingly we are all still alive." Jinyoung's voice said nonchalantly from his spot seated atop a nearby table and Jirou rolled his eyes. He turned to look at Jinyoung who was casually lighting a cigarette with a flame produced from his thumb.

"You have such a pleasant way of phrasing things, Jay. Thank you once again for your overwhelming confidence." Jirou scolded him playfully, and Jinyoung gave him a short salute before taking a long drag from his cigarette.

"Somehow, I feel that he makes a good point though." Everyone turned to see Kala speak and find her standing in the doorway of the kitchen, curtained entrance partway drawn, obviously just having entered the dining room a short while ago.

"Hey! Why do you just automatically side with him?" Jirou looked genuinely offended as he looked at Kala questioningly.

"It's because she knows _you_, Jirou." Jinyoung chuckled, the end of his cigarette emitted a bright red that reflected in his mischievous gaze.

"He has a point there!" Jemma laughed as she moved towards the counter. With a fluid motion she stowed her knapsack on the other side of the counter and turned just in time to see Jirou's tongue shoot out in her direction. "Wow," She mused, "sticking your tongue out at me, really Jirou? How old are you?"

"Old enough to know better!" Jirou sung back happily with a goofy grin.

"That's not something to be proud of…" Kala laughed as Jemma smacked herself in the forehead with her palm in exasperation.

Yuki couldn't help but giggle at the display, but then fell silent as the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She dared a sideways glance, only to confirm her suspicion that the black haired girl's gaze was still glued to her. The girl had a transfixing glare and Yuki found it hard to look away, suddenly frozen with fear. The spell was quickly broken however as the girl's eyes darted sharply to the left, reacting to Jirou's sudden approach. Yuki blinked in surprise as she watched the girl's terrifying aura disappear in a matter of seconds. The menacing stare was replaced with a completely passive face and the girl seemed to bristle as Jirou stopped just short of her. Jirou seemed unaware of his effect on the girl and spun around on his heels, suddenly remembering something.

"Ah! I almost forgot to introduce you guys!" Jirou grinned, grabbing a hold of the auburn haired man's sleeve in a quick fluid motion. The man barely flinched as he was pulled to Jirou's side in an awkward half-hug and stared ahead blankly.

"These are my other two captains!" Jirou continued pleasantly, obviously unaware of how odd he looked cradling the man. He smiled and ruffled the man's hair as he said,

"This bag of sunshine is Baro!"

The man finally seemed to snap out of his comatose state and wriggled free from Jirou's grasp with a grunt.

"Don't mess with my hair." He mumbled tiredly as he clasped his hands to his head protectively.

"That's not much of an introduction, Baro." Jirou chided with a grin.

"Hello." Baro muttered monotonically not even bothering to look in Yuki or Kala's direction.

"Nice to meet you, my name's Yuki!" Yuki smiled back pleasantly with a bow, completely ignoring Baro's less than enthusiastic greeting. Baro looked at her, with a slight hint of surprise crossing his features, obviously confused by such a positive reaction.

"Yes, and I'm Kala." Kala said simply to which Baro nodded absentmindedly.

"See? You get to meet nice girls when you take your head out of the clouds, Baro!" Jirou smiled at Yuki brightly, which made her cheeks redden, and Baro involuntarily covered his face with his long bangs.

"Jirou." The girls' voice was like ice and made Yuki jump, she looked over at her quickly to find that her deadly glare had once again reappeared. Her eyes were narrowed but Jirou seemed to not be intimidated at all and rolled his head lazily to look at her.

"Eh? What is it? I didn't forget you; I was just about to introduce you next! You're so impatient!"

"That's not what I was getting at!" The girl huffed indignantly, obviously irked by Jirou's response. "There are more important things we have to deal with than introductions at the moment, you know."

"There is always time for introductions!" Jirou smiled back simply.

"But you said we needed to get back to the hideout quickly! You left Shiro in charge of setting up the-"

"Sssssh!" Her sentence was cut off midway as Jirou lurched forward and pressed a hand to her mouth to silence her.

"Don't ruin the surprise! That's the best part!" He grinned at her wickedly and her eyes grew wide as she stared at him wildly. With a lurch she pulled away from him, cheeks red, and glared up at him.

"Surprise?" Kala repeated, getting a sudden premonition that the surprise somehow involved them and that they wouldn't like it. Jirou turned around and smiled at Kala with a grin that only made Kala's stomach sink.

"Yes, a surprise!" He sang happily, "Which is exactly that, a surprise! Which means I can't tell you what it is, so you'll just have to see for yourselves."

"See for ourselves?" Yuki repeated confused, tilting her head to the side like a bewildered animal.

"Well, that's why we're here, you see." Jinyoung mused from his spot atop the table. "You could say we're kidnapping you in a sense."

"Which seems to be our new thing as of today." Jemma muttered quietly, and Kala stared at her curiously.

"Huh?"

"Nothing." Jemma said dismissively looking at Kala and Yuki, "It's not really a kidnapping, you guys. You're just coming to the hideout with us so you can be initiated."

"Jemma!" Jirou cried out, hurt. "I said not to spoil the surprise!" His lower lip quivered, and he went into a full on pout.

"Initiated?" Kala repeated, ignoring Jirou, looking at Jemma questioningly.

"Into the Armadillo Wolves, of course!" Jinyoung answered for her, playing with the end of his cigarette as he took another long drag.

"You're going to become official members of the gang." Jemma shrugged and Kala looked at her wide-eyed.

"You guys want us to be a part of the gang?" Yuki looked at Jirou with her wide doe like eyes, and he smiled enthusiastically.

"Of course! Well, I mean you're already one of us to me….this is just more of a silly formality." His eyes twinkled as he spoke and he stepped closer to her gingerly.

"A silly formality that you insisted we do for them." The girl corrected icily from behind him, baring daggers at Yuki with her eyes.

"Because it's fun, Haruhi!" He sang back playfully, spinning around on his heels to look at Haruhi leaving Yuki stunned. She quickly regained her composure, realizing she had forgotten how to breathe for an instant.

"Yeah, well…we can't start the _fun _here, can we? We sort of have to be at the hideout don't we? So can we get going already?" Haruhi didn't even wait for his reply and began to stride over to the front door, boot heels clicking loudly beneath her. She pulled open the door without hesitation and stood there with a hand on the handle, daring Jirou to delay them any longer.

"Alright, alright!" Jirou threw his arms up in defeat and grinned back at them all with a smirk, "Let's get going shall we?"

Jinyoung and Baro rose immediately and moved towards the door, but Yuki looked back at Kala and Jemma wide-eyed. Kala looked just as confused but Jemma placed a hand on her shoulder and gave the two a reassuring look.

"Just play along with him, it makes things easier for everyone."

* * *

"This is your hideout?"

Kala stared at the building with disbelief. The seven of them had piled into a rather cramped truck and had driven almost halfway across Republic City to the harbor district. There were tons of dilapidated buildings on this side of town and the remnants of what used to be a booming industrial sector. What was left of the industry was represented by the dozen of abandoned warehouses lining the lot of land at the water's side. There were rusting cranes and factories that looked as if they were frozen in time. Baro had driven the large truck with dexterity through the maze of empty buildings and had stopped just short of a large bridge. It looked as though it was used at one point to transport goods across the harbor, but was now missing its middle section and stood as a broken sentinel in the fog. Beneath the remaining pieces was nestled a building, that was surprisingly large for being almost hidden behind the iron beams of the dying suspension bridge.

"She's a beauty ain't she?" Jinyoung seemed genuinely proud of the building and Kala shook her head.

"It's definitely something." She said quietly, hugging herself lightly in the chill of the night. Great banks of fog rolled up from the water and the whole place seemed slightly eerie.

"Well, come on! The fun's on the inside!" Jirou grinned, darting out in front of the group, skipping towards the building happily. The rest of them followed, slightly less enthusiastically, and watched as Jirou came to a halt at the building. Yuki and Kala scanned the face of the building and looked at each other puzzled.

"Where's the door?" They asked in unison, to which Jirou grinned widely. The intricate brickwork seemed to stretch on endlessly and there was no such entrance to be found. Baro sighed and shuffled past them drudgingly; Jirou stepped aside and allowed Baro to place a hand on the building's surface delicately. There was a pause, and then Baro ripped his hand sharply to the side. There was a crackling noise as the bricks broke away in front of him, and a metallic door appeared from practically nowhere. It was a deep gray, and had an ornate locking mechanism constructed of what looked to be some sort of titanium alloy.

"Why, it's right here!" Jirou grinned playfully, gesturing towards the door with glee.

"Wow," Kala breathed, "You're an earth bender, Baro?"

Jirou deflated visibly and hung his head, as Baro nodded his head solemnly. Jinyoung and Jemma laughed at their leader's failed attempt at trying to impress the girls, as Haruhi rolled her eyes, striding over to the metallic door with purpose. She lifted her right hand and rapped four times on the door with the back of her hand. There was a long silence, and then a grating noise could be heard. A hidden panel in the door slid away, and a set of purple eyes looked out at them from within.

"Let us in Takashi, it's cold!" Jirou had seemingly regained his composure and grinned at the man behind the door childishly.

"Right away, boss." Takashi's voice was muffled but unmistakable before he slid the paneling back into place. There was another pause and then the door swung open from the inside slowly, causing a wash of orange light to pour out from the building. The girls blinked at the bright light and then tentatively stepped indoors as they were beckoned by Jirou impatiently. As their eyes adjusted to the light they realized they were in a rather small room. It was a simple square space that was dominated by a large circular bench at the center of the room, which was built around an indoor fire pit that was crackling noisily. Lining the walls of the space were low shelves that housed countless pairs of boots and sandals. From the shoes alone, there was a least two dozen people that lived in this building. Hanging above the shoe racks were simple hooks that served as coat racks for an equal number of jackets. Haruhi, Jinyoung, Jirou, and Baro almost immediately began shedding their outer layers and shoes, placing them into their appropriate spaces like they had done this all their lives. Takashi moved to close the door behind them quietly, and then smiled at the two stunned girls pleasantly.

"Put your shoes and coats anywhere, really. Just remember where you put them for when you leave." His snow white hair twinkled in the orange light of the fire and he collapsed neatly into his spot beside it. He produced a weathered book from between the folds of the cushioned seat gingerly and begun to read, obviously having returned to what he had been doing prior to their entrance.

"Takashi almost always has mudroom duty because as long as he has a book, he doesn't mind sitting in here for hours." Jirou explained moving over to the girls with a smile.

"First off, the fact that you even have a mudroom is impressive, but the fact that you actually have someone on guard duty all the time is even more so." Kala looked at Jirou baffled, unable to reconcile such a good idea with such a strange man.

"It was my idea." Jemma said proudly as Jirou stuck his tongue out at her once more.

"Yeah, but I added the fire pit; that was my own personal flair." He grinned proudly and Kala rolled her eyes. Yuki had already begun to take her boots of gingerly and Kala did the same. Once they had taken off their shoes and jackets, they moved to the opposite side of the small room where there was a small oak door. Jirou called back over to Takashi as he placed a hand on the handle.

"If any of the members comes in, tell them to use the back entrance! We don't want them disrupting the initiations!" He looked at the girls mischievously and Yuki and Kala exchanged fearful glances.

"Mmm." Takashi responded simply, too completely engrossed in his book to say anything more.

Jirou seemed pleased enough with his response, and pushed open the door excitedly. Yuki gasped as they filed into the room before them.

It had huge vaulted ceilings and was infinitely bigger than the room they had just left. It was surprisingly cozy with wood floorboards and walls that seemed to practically glow. The room overall was huge and seemed to serve many different purposes. Directly in front of them to their right was a large bar area, complete with high stools and what looked to be a well-stocked variety of alcoholic beverages. To the right of the bar was a large pool table and lounge area. It was filled with plush couches and arm chairs which looked as though they had been through better days. To their direct left was an incredibly long space that resembled a dining hall. There seemed to usually be three incredibly long oaken tables that dominated the space but they had been shoved aside for the time being to create a large space in the center of the room. The space had been cordoned off by a ring of chairs and a group of people looked up from their place at the far side of the room as they walked in.

"Jirou!" The loud bellow belonged to none other than the ponytailed Shiro, and Kala found herself grimacing visibly when she saw him approach them. He scanned the seven of them as he closed the distance between them with long strides and focused on her in an instant, "Why hello, Kala."

"Shiro." She said unenthusiastically, to which he merely chuckled.

"How's our guest settling in?" Jirou grabbed Shiro's hand and gave his friend a half hug, with a huge grin.

"Who, Qiqi? She's fine; I took good care of her while you were gone!" Shiro grinned evilly and gestured with his thumb back towards the other side of the room. Kala and Yuki looked over interested and saw a figure seated in a chair surrounded by four other people. One of which seemed incredibly familiar with her high, swinging, braided ponytail and short stature.

"Miko!" Yuki cried surprised, to which the small figure waved, striding over to them.

"Yuki, Kala! Long time no see!" Although her tone was friendly, enough but her demeanor was still as fierce as ever, and the two were still wary of the small girl. She turned her attention from them to her brother and Jirou in a flash, and her stare hardened.

"About time you showed up Jirou, how long did you plan to keep us on babysitting duty?" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared him "down" with a level glare.

"Oh, you are such a drama queen! I was only gone for a little while; I thought you would have fun bonding with the other sergeants anyway!" Jirou waved her away dismissively and gestured for everyone to follow him as he moved towards the other people at the far side of the dining hall.

"Oh yeah we had a blast." Miko muttered sarcastically rolling her eyes, "The only tolerable one was Thina, the rest … well, look at Shiro and you get the general idea."

"Hey!" Shiro looked genuinely hurt, as Kala and Yuki giggled. Their group crossed the long space quickly and Jirou pulled to a halt in front of the three people with a wild grin. Yuki stared at the man in the chair curiously as he seemed to visibly shrink in Jirou's presence.

He wasn't bound to the chair in any sense but it was obvious that he wasn't here in the hideout of his own free will. His long black hair obscured his face, but Yuki still managed to see his fearful expression and porcelain-like features. Yuki glanced to the three people standing on either side of the man, who she assumed had been assigned to watch over him along with Miko, as Jirou began to speak.

"I'm sure Qiqi didn't give you any trouble, right?" He looked at the three with a smile in his eyes, and the man in the chair shifted uncomfortably. He looked as though he wanted to say something but was muted in the face of so many onlookers.

"Of course not, I couldn't even get him to talk to me! The poor thing is quite timid, isn't he?" One of the men standing guard said with laugh as he clasped his hands together under his chin and looked down at Qiqi with wide eyes. "I'm not that scary am I?" The man continued batting his long eyelashes with a fake pout for effect. His hair was a jet black that tapered to a dull brown at the edges of his bangs and was cut asymmetrically so one half of his bangs stopped right above his jaw line while the other fell almost to his collarbone. His eyes were a light brown that seemed to almost sparkle, and his white teeth flashed with his flirtatious smile.

"My name's Hide! It is _so _nice to finally meet you! Kala and Yuki; am I right?" His voice had a sing-song quality to it and he purposefully drew out vowels for emphasis. The girls were surprised that he knew their names but even more so when he rushed forward and wrapped them both in a big hug. He laughed and then pulled back to smile at them,

"I know we'll be the best of friends! I already love you two! I mean, look at you guys! You are just _gorgeous, _and Kala, you _have _to show me how you do that to your hair! It's just dashing on you!" He displayed an extremely well-manicured hand as he reached out to play with the loop of hair on the side of Kala's face and she looked at him confused,

"Uhh…sure…Thanks…I guess." Hide smiled and clapped his hands together excitedly, and Kala chanced a sideways glance at Yuki who looked just as bewildered as she felt.

"Alright, Hide. You made your very flamboyant introduction, let the girls have some room to breathe…They only just got here." Jinyoung's tone was surprisingly short, and Yuki was surprised to see him hanging quite a ways away from the group. He was leaning against the far wall gingerly and seemed almost hesitant to get any closer.

"Oh Jinyoung, you're such a tease!" Hide didn't seem to notice Jinyoung's tone at all and merely smiled playfully at him before returning to his spot by the chair. For a second Yuki almost thought she saw Jinyoung shiver, but she figured it just must have been her imagination.

"Captain, now that you're back does that mean we're done with guard duty?" This time it was the other man on guard that spoke up, and his question was directed at Jinyoung as he scampered over to him. He looked young compared to the other members and barely came up to Jinyoung's shoulders. Although what he lacked in height was made up for with his hair, as he practically gave him another four inches of height all by itself. It was wild and stuck out in all directions, with the majority standing straight up as though he had been electrocuted. It was a wispy, light brown color which matched almost exactly with the layer of dirt that coated his cheeks and arms. His white cotton shirt was filthy and there were huge black oil marks all along his chest.

"Mmm? Oh yeah, Eiji you're done with guard duty, but we still have to do the initiations." Jinyoung didn't even look at the boy as he lit a cigarette and the boy seemed to deflate visibly.

"Oh." He muttered disappointedly and Jinyoung looked at him softly.

"Eiji, you'll have plenty of free time later. For now, you could at least introduce yourself." He shoved the boy roughly back towards Kala and Yuki. The boy glanced up at them from behind a pair of goggles that were clasped firmly across his face and shuffled awkwardly in a pair of combat boots that were far too big for him.

"Mmm… Eiji." He kicked at the ground lightly and buried his gloved hands deep into his pockets, "…That's my name." He added quietly.

"Nice to meet you!" Yuki said sweetly to which he merely nodded and shuffled away.

"Just ignore him, he's always been a little socially awkward." It was the last guard who spoke up this time, and she smiled at Kala and Yuki reassuringly. "My name's Thina."

"Well, it's nice to meet you." Kala smiled looking over the girl with a smile. Thina had a layered mane of dark brown hair that surrounded her cherub like face, and accentuated her large eyes. She was short, not as short as Miko definitely, but a petite girl nonetheless. She smiled back at Kala with a flashing smile, and then turned to Jirou.

"So, what's next for our kidnapped prisoner then?" She asked mischievously, as Kala and Yuki's eyes widened staring at Jirou in disbelief.

"Jirou-"Yuki stuttered.

"You didn't-"Kala shook her head

"He's…?" Yuki glanced back at the man in the chair with wide eyes. "You wouldn't!" Her ponytail bobbed as she twirled on her heels to look at Jirou, who shifted uncomfortably. He laughed nervously, and threw his hands up in the air guiltily.

"Okay, okay! ...I know it _sounds_bad when you phrase it like that…" He began to explain and Miko scoffed.

"What sounds bad? _Kidnapping? _Pretty sure, that's exactly what you did with this one." She gestured a thumb over her shoulder to Qilaq and eyed Jirou seriously.

"Not kidnapping!" Jirou corrected quickly, looking from Miko to Yuki quickly trying to explain himself. "It was more of a …rescue! Rescue, yeah that's it!"

"…Rescue?" Kala repeated skeptically, folding her arms tightly across her chest.

"Yes!" Jirou cried moving towards Qilaq quickly, who jumped as Jirou clasped his shoulders from behind speaking rapidly, "Qi-Qi- I mean Qilaq, here…Wasn't happy at all in that big old mansion of his, were you?" Jirou looked down at Qilaq, who simply shook under the sudden attention and blushed profusely.

"I-"

"Exactly!" Jirou cut Qilaq short before he had even formed a word, hauling him to his feet and slinging an arm around his shoulder, "The life of royalty is lonely, I'm sure! Poor Qilaq here never had anyone to play with, that's why he was so helpful during the raid! He kind of liked our rowdy bunch, didn't you Qilaq?"

"Er-" Qilaq stuttered again, keeping his eyes low. Everyone around him had no idea just how perceptive Jirou was being at the moment.

"See no kidnappers here; just Robin Hood and his merry men! Saving a fellow in distress by taking him to the one place in Republic City where he could be himself!" Jirou interjected again, and beamed proudly with his explanation of the day's events. Kala, Jemma, Haruhi, Miko, and Thina shared a collective sigh and eye-roll, while Shiro gave his friend a subtle thumbs-up for his speech.

"You really expect us to believe that?" Miko looked at Jirou icily.

"Why wouldn't you? Look at, Qilaq! Does he look like he was just kidnapped?!" He thrust Qilaq forward like a ragdoll, and Qilaq bowed his head in fear.

"If he wasn't kidnapped, why would you leave three people to guard him while you went to get us?" Kala asked with a raised eyebrow, to which Jirou just laughed nervously.

"Guard him? What would ever give you that idea, Kala? Obviously Hide, Eiji, and Thina were just keeping our guest a little company! Right, guys?" Jirou turned quickly to the three of them and they looked at each other with a similar bemused expression.

"Yeah, of course." Thina finally shrugged figuring she had let her leader dangle for long enough, throwing him a line. He smiled smugly and turned back to Kala with a grin.

"See?" He said sweetly, to which she only narrowed her eyes further. Jirou saw she was not entirely convinced and smiled, releasing his hands from Qilaq's shoulders. "Fine! If you don't believe me, here you go! I'm not going to even pretend like I'm keeping him here! Qilaq is free to leave if he wants too."

For good measure, Jirou took a step back and sat down on the chair where Qilaq had previously been sitting. Qilaq turned to stare at him wide-eyed but Jirou merely smiled his perfectly flawless smile, and raised his hands showing that it was not a trick. Shiro and Jinyoung exchanged a glance but remained where they were, and everyone seemed to hold their breath as they waited to see what Qilaq would do.  
Qilaq looked around at the circle of strangers with a wide and fearful gaze but remained rooted in his spot. He hoped his long bangs concealed his face well enough so that they could not see his inner turmoil. His brain was telling him to take the chance and seize, and yet he could not move. There was a deeper feeling gripping his gut that made him hesitate. This feeling was foreign and yet it seemed familiar, it was almost as if he…belonged.

* * *

**Oh dear, we haven't updated in over 2 months haven't we? Life is just too time consuming for us artists T.T BUT, since our Winter Break starts next week, we'll probably get more fanfic-related stuff done :D  
And apparently we didn't cut chapter 7 as cleanly as we thought LOL, we ended up having to break it up... again... oh well... So the initiation won't be until next chapter :/  
**

**And Happy Belated Birthday to our wonderful editor, Fayzee! (her birthday was yesterday) Who took her precious studying time to edit through the chapter! We heart you!  
**

**_Some Fun Story Facts for you!_  
_-Continuing with the structure of the Armadillo Wolves: There is the Leader (Jirou), then 2 lieutenants (Shiro and Jemma), 3 Captains (Jinyoung, Haruhi, and Baro), and last but not least, the newly introduced Sergeants! (Eiji, Thina, Hide, and Miko) Each Sergeant is under a Captain that specializes in a certain aspect. With Eiji under Jinyoung, Thina under Haruhi, Hide under Baro, and Miko, being the special one, directly under Jemma._  
_-And we've been meaning to say this since chapter 1, but the time frame of the story starts a little before Korra comes to Republic City; Kala and Yuki get to the city a few months before Korra did. We hope this clears up some confusion :)_**


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